Showing results for "passer-by"

• a variation of passerby.

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

See Examples For:

passer-by

The latest discovery was made by a passer-by, who spotted the body on his way to work, police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe told reporters at the scene.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

They had entered the water to try to help him but were pulled to safety by a passer-by.

From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026

A passer-by spoke to her, which she says saved her life.

From BBC ● Nov. 28, 2025

Play at Dawson Memorial Field in Danbury, Essex, was suspended over summer after a passer-by was struck on the leg by a ball as he unloaded his car on 17 May.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2025

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

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Related Words

• bystander
• observer
• witness

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