pedestrian
Americannoun
-
pedestrians
plural
adjective
-
going or performed on foot; walking.
-
of or relating to walking.
-
lacking in vitality, imagination, distinction, etc.; commonplace; prosaic or dull.
a pedestrian commencement speech.
noun
adjective
Usage
What does pedestrian mean? A pedestrian is a person who travels by foot—a walker. The term is especially used in the context of road safety to distinguish people walking from people driving or riding bikes. In this sense, the word is also commonly used as an adjective to refer to things involving pedestrians, such as in pedestrian crossing, pedestrian safety, and pedestrian walkway. Example: Pedestrians will continue to be struck by cars unless we improve and enforce pedestrian safety laws. Pedestrian is also a negative term for something considered mediocre, uninspired, or lacking in originality. It’s especially used in artistic criticism, such as in reviews of music, movies, fashion, or food. Calling something pedestrian is typically considered an insult. Example: Don’t you think that sweater is a little pedestrian? You want to dress to impress, right?
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of pedestrian
1710–20; < Latin pedestri- (stem of pedester on foot, derivative of pēs (stem ped- ); see pedi-) + -an
Explanation
A pedestrian is someone traveling by foot. If you're a pedestrian, you will likely get annoyed at the drivers who don't stop so you can cross the street. Pedestrian comes from the Latin pedester meaning "going on foot" but also "plain." As a noun, it's someone walking around — sidewalks are for pedestrians. As an adjective it means "lacking wit or imagination." If someone calls your new poem pedestrian, they mean it's dull. If you want to impress your friends while also making them feel worthless, mutter "these people are SO pedestrian," at a party, loud enough for everyone to hear.
Vocabulary lists containing pedestrian
100 Great Words from "Fahrenheit 451" -- Part I Vocabulary
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"Simon's Saga," Vocabulary from Episode 1
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Body Language: Ped, Pod ("Foot")
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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.
See Examples For:
This included expanding federal investments to build out bike and pedestrian infrastructure across the country.
From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026
In the hardest-hit cities, several buildings were marked with a red "X" to warn of the risk of collapse and prohibit pedestrian access.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
“Historically it was a sector that was very pedestrian from an organic-growth standpoint, and what we’ve seen is a real transformation in terms of the ability of companies to build stuff,” said the portfolio manager.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
Spanish authorities have so far come to a far more pedestrian conclusion: It was spontaneous and spurred on by social media.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
The execution strikes us as pedestrian and thus out of tune with the conception of the work.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
Through a glass skylight embedded in the sidewalk, I could see pedestrians rushing by on their way to work, while tires screeched in the car park above.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
In July, NPR reported that the department had taken down important safety data about crashes involving cars and bicycles and pedestrians, which are used by city planners to figure out where to focus road improvements.
From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026
Bar-Zemer contends that safety features could be installed to make sure pedestrians have enough time to exit the pathway if water rises swiftly.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
“The Rumbler system provides an earlier, more noticeable warning that an emergency vehicle is approaching, giving motorists and pedestrians additional time to recognize the danger and respond safely.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
I belonged in a city with a constant stream of traffic noise, busy pedestrians, and musicians busking on the sidewalk.
From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi
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.
