pedestrian

/pəˈdɛstriən/

/pəˈdɛstriən/

Other forms: pedestrians; pedestrianly

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.

Definitions of pedestrian

1. noun

   a person who travels by foot
   synonyms: footer, walker

   types:

   hiker, tramp, tramper

   a foot traveler; someone who goes on an extended walk (for pleasure)

   hobbler, limper

   someone who has a limp and walks with a hobbling gait

   jaywalker

   a reckless pedestrian who crosses a street illegally

   marcher, parader

   walks with regular or stately step

   nondriver

   a person who is not a driver

   passer, passer-by, passerby

   a person who passes by casually or by chance

   peripatetic

   a person who walks from place to place

   rambler

   a person who takes long walks in the country

   ambler, saunterer, stroller

   someone who walks at a leisurely pace

   shuffler

   someone who walks without raising the feet

   reeler, staggerer, totterer

   someone who walks unsteadily as if about to fall

   stalker

   someone who walks with long stiff strides

   stamper, stomper, tramper, trampler

   someone who walks with a heavy noisy gait or who stamps on the ground

   strider

   a person who walks rapidly with long steps

   stumbler, tripper

   a walker or runner who trips and almost falls

   swaggerer

   someone who walks in an arrogant manner

   plodder, slogger, trudger

   someone who walks in a laborious heavy-footed manner

   waddler

   someone who walks with a waddling gait

   wayfarer

   a pedestrian who walks from place to place

   backpacker, packer

   a hiker who wears a backpack

   pivot, pivot man

   the person in a rank around whom the others wheel and maneuver

   wheeler

   the man at the outermost end of the rank in wheeling

   type of:

   traveler, traveller

   a person who changes location
2. adjective

   lacking wit or imagination
   “a pedestrian movie plot”

   synonyms: earthbound, prosaic, prosy

   uninteresting

   arousing no interest or attention or curiosity or excitement