passerby

or pass·er-by

[ pas-er-bahy, -bahy, pah-ser- ]

/ ˈpæs ərˈbaɪ, -ˌbaɪ, ˈpɑ sər- /

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See synonyms for: passerby / passersby on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural pass·ers·by

[pas-erz-bahy, -bahy, pah-serz-], /ˈpæs ərzˈbaɪ, -ˌbaɪ, ˈpɑ sərz-/,

a person passing by.

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TAKE JOY IN ACING THIS QUIZ ON “PRIDE” SYNONYMS

Hold your head up high as you embark on this quiz that explores some of the synonyms and meanings of “pride.”

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What does "dignity" mean?

showing self-respect

treating others with kindness

acting selfishly

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Origin of passerby

1560–70; pass by + -er¹, with postposing of the particle

Words nearby passerby

passenger mile, passenger pigeon, passe-partout, passepied, passer, passerby, passeriform, passerine, pas seul, pass-fail, pass for

How to use passerby in a sentence

The video, shot by a passerby, begins after Franklin is supposed to be dead.
Minneapolis Police Were Cleared in the 2013 Killing of Terrance Franklin. A Video Complicates the Story—and Now the Case May Be Reopened|Josiah Bates|June 25, 2021|Time
I only hope some curious passerby picked it up from whatever park bench or lobby sofa or cafe table I left it on, read it and set it back out into the wilds.
World class: Remembering legendary travel writer Jan Morris|Liza Weisstuch|December 10, 2020|Washington Post
"You're a bunch of killers," a passerby told cops standing sentry there, according to one police source.
Anger at The Cop Killer - And The Police|M.L. Nestel|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Because while calling a passerby “sexy” may be uncouth, it shouldn't be illegal.
Street Harassment Shouldn’t Be a Crime|Lizzie Crocker|October 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

She had been choked unconscious and very likely would have died had a passerby not scared away her attacker.
The Math That Keeps Helping College Rapists|Michael Daly|October 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I was in a production of Oliver Twist and I was a passerby, and I had five words: “Coming down the street there!”
Lupita Nyong’o On Her Magical Journey from Kenya to ‘12 Years A Slave’ and Possible Oscar Glory|Marlow Stern|February 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A passerby found her body last week, half hidden, half burned, in the Bois de Boulogne on the outskirts of Paris.
France’s New Prostitution Law Targets Johns, Ignites National Debate|Christopher Dickey|December 5, 2013|DAILY BEAST
On the way home Susanna could scarcely refrain from calling out to every passerby some hint of their good fortune.
Mighty Mikko|Parker Fillmore
Frank could see that the door was ajar, as though inviting the passerby to enter without the formality of knocking.
The Outdoor Chums at Cabin Point|Quincy Allen
They take the boy to Paris, employ a passerby—a man of their own class, no doubt—for a few francs, to deliver him at your door.
The Blue Lights|Arnold Fredericks
The rhododendron, with its brilliant colouring, is everywhere, and the little forget-me-not nods to every passerby.
Days in the Open|Lathan A. Crandall
The "sport" was soon stopped, however, by a passerby, who administered a rebuke that could hardly be forgotten.
Birds and all Nature, Vol. IV, No. 3, September 1898|Various

British Dictionary definitions for passerby

passer-by

noun plural passers-by

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012