noun
pedestrian
puh-DEHST-ree-uhn
noun
1
A person who is walking, especially as distinct from someone driving or riding.
"The crosswalk light turns green to let pedestrians cross safely."
adj
1
Ordinary and unremarkable; dull.
"The film's plot felt pedestrian compared to the director's earlier work."
2
Designed for or relating to people walking.
"The city closed the street to cars and made it a pedestrian zone."
How to Use Pedestrian
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAs a noun, someone walking (not driving); as an adjective, either "for walkers" or, more figuratively, "boring and unoriginal."
Common mistake
The adjective sense meaning "dull" can surprise learners who only know the "walker" sense — context makes clear which is meant.
Common pairings
pedestrian crossing
pedestrian zone
pedestrian prose
Word Forms
more pedestrian comparative, pedestrians plural, most pedestrian superlative
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The crosswalk light turns green to let _____ cross safely.
Etymology
From Latin pedester, "on foot," related to pes/ped-, "foot," plus the adjective-forming suffix "-an."