passer-by

British  

noun

1. a person that is passing or going by, esp on foot

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Explanation

A passer-by is someone who just happens to walk past something. If you trip and spill the contents of your backpack on the sidewalk, a kind passer-by will probably stop and help you gather your things. If you witness a car accident while you're walking to school, you're a passer-by, and if you stroll past someone who's juggling flaming torches on the sidewalk, you're also a passer-by. Before the mid-sixteenth century, the now-obsolete passager had the same meaning. Today, passer-by is a fairly straightforward word ("one who passes by"); its only slightly confusing aspect being the plural form, which is passers-by.

Example Sentences

In 2022, when asked by a passer-by whether he saw himself as the leader of Iran's protest movement, he and Yasmine reportedly replied in unison: "Change has to come from within."

From BBC • Jan. 9, 2026

The bodies of Sarah and Mark Ratcliffe – a passer-by who tried to help – were recovered on Friday, shortly after they entered heavy seas in Withernsea, East Yorkshire.

From BBC • Jan. 5, 2026

But after a "venomous" comment from a passer-by, Ms Wiggins said she wanted to remind people of the tradition's backstory.

From BBC • Nov. 26, 2025

After a passer-by told him that seeing it had made them feel happy, Ian was inspired to build a full-sized yacht.

From BBC • Dec. 21, 2024

The Verdun section of Montreal was in no sense a dressy neighborhood, and I was convinced that every passer-by was giving me a second, basically censorious look.

From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger

Related Words

• bystander
• observer
• witness