Meaning & use
passersby
Last updated
UK/ˌpɑːsəzˈbaɪ/
US/ˌpæsɚzˈbaɪ/
“passersby” is a form of “passerby”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
nounplural
People who happen to walk or travel past a place, especially those who notice or are affected by something there.
Grammar: Plural of passerby: several passersby stopped to help.
Patterns
- passersby stopped
- passersby watched
Several passersby stopped to help the cyclist.
The musician played for passersby on the corner.
Passersby gazed at the window display.
Word forms
| singular | passerby |
|---|
Common combinations
- curious passersby
- Curious passersby gathered around the street artist.
- startled passersby
- Startled passersby ducked as the sign fell.
- passersby stopped
- Passersby stopped to take photos of the mural.
- help from passersby
- The driver got help from passersby.
- ask passersby
- We asked passersby for directions.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pedestrians
- Pedestrians are people on foot generally, while passersby are people who happen to go past a certain spot.
- onlookers
- Onlookers are people who stop and watch, whereas passersby may simply walk on.
- bystanders
- Bystanders are people who are present at an event but not involved, and usually stand still.
Word family
Practice
The street performer collected coins from the ______ on the sidewalk.
Choose one answer.
Passersby is the standard plural of passerby, with the s after the first part. The other forms are not accepted spellings.
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