passerby
Americannoun
plural
passersbyEtymology
Origin of passerby
1560–70; pass by + -er 1, with postposing of the particle
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Restaurant terraces sit deserted, while souvenir, watersports and perfume vendors watch for the rare passerby.
From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026
A passerby alerted authorities to a woman in a “state of medical distress” shortly after midnight Jan. 6 near Sierra Highway and Technology Drive, said Lt.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2026
Any prudent passerby would think twice before approaching a clearing with a tower made of hundreds of skulls at its center.
From Salon • Jan. 23, 2026
"It's interesting because not that many things get vandalised around here," says Lucia, a passerby who lives in the city.
From BBC • Dec. 10, 2025
A passerby submitted a picture of the sign to social media website Reddit, and the news spread farther.
From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
