Pedestrian
/pəˈdɛstrɪən/
nounadjectiveB2
Definition
A pedestrian is someone who moves by walking, not by car or bike. This word is often used to talk about people on sidewalks or crossing streets. When used as an adjective, pedestrian means something is simple, plain, or boring, without anything special.
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See It in Action
A person who walks, especially in a city or on roads
- •Pedestrians should use crosswalks to stay safe.
- •The city built new sidewalks to help pedestrians move easily.
- •Drivers must watch out for pedestrians at intersections.
Ordinary, dull, or lacking excitement (adjective)
- •His ideas were pedestrian and did not inspire the team.
- •The movie was pedestrian compared to the director’s earlier work.
- •She gave a pedestrian performance, without energy or emotion.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "pedestrian" like "walker" (A1 word) when it is a noun, but more formal and used in traffic or city situations.
- ✓Picture people walking on a busy city sidewalk or crossing a street safely at a crosswalk.
- ✓It’s the feeling of everyday life when you just walk somewhere without excitement or speed.
- ✓Sounds like "ped-es-trian" → imagine a "ped" (foot) and "trian" like "train," but this train moves only by foot, slowly and steadily.
- ✓In stories, pedestrians are normal people in cities, not drivers or cyclists.
- ✓NOT like "driver" (someone controlling a vehicle), pedestrians move on their own using feet.
- ✓NOT like "exciting" or "interesting" when used as an adjective—pedestrian means plain or dull.
- ✓NOT like "runner" (fast moving), pedestrians walk at a normal, calm speed.
Try Other Words
- •Foot traveler: a person who travels by walking (Use when emphasizing the travel aspect rather than just walking in a city)
- •Ordinary: plain, not special or exciting (Use to replace pedestrian as an adjective meaning dull or common)
- •Common: usual or normal (Use when describing something usual or expected, similar to pedestrian as an adjective)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "ped-" (foot) + "-estrian" (related to walking or people who move)
- •Etymology: From Latin "pedester," meaning "on foot," used in English since the 17th century
- •Historical development: Originally described soldiers marching on foot; later used for any person walking
- •Modern usage: Used in traffic and city planning to describe people walking; also used as an adjective meaning dull or ordinary
Reflect & Connect
•How does the meaning of pedestrian change when used as a noun versus an adjective?
•Can something be both pedestrian and important? How would you explain that?
Fill in the blanks
1.Pedestrians must use the ___ to cross the street safely and avoid accidents.
2.When a city has no sidewalks, it becomes dangerous for ___ to walk around.
3.The speech was so ___ that many people lost interest and stopped listening.
4.Unlike drivers, pedestrians move ___ and do not use vehicles.
5.The artist’s work was criticized for being ___ and lacking creativity.
6.Pedestrians often feel safer when there are clear signs and ___ for walking.
7.She chose a ___ route to enjoy the city by walking slowly and seeing everything.