Meaning & use
pedal
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Meanings
nouncountable
A part you push with your foot to make a machine work or go faster.
Grammar: Countable: one pedal, two pedals; often used with press, push or put your foot on.
Patterns
- press the pedal
- put your foot on the pedal
- the brake pedal
- the gas pedal
She pressed the brake pedal hard when the dog ran into the road.
The pedals on my new bike are too small for my feet.
He kept his foot on the gas pedal as the car climbed the hill.
verbtransitive or intransitive
To move a bicycle or similar machine forward by pushing its pedals with your feet.
Grammar: Can take an object (pedal a bike) or stand alone (we pedaled for hours), and is often followed by along, up or down.
Patterns
- pedal a bike
- pedal up a hill
- pedal along the road
- pedal hard
We pedaled along the river for an hour before stopping for lunch.
She pedaled the old bicycle up the steep hill without getting off.
He was pedaling so fast that his cap blew off.
verbtransitive or intransitive
To work a pedal on a machine, especially to press it with your foot.
Grammar: Often used for pianos and organs: you pedal the piano, or simply pedal while you play.
Patterns
- pedal the piano
- pedal softly
You need to pedal the piano gently in this quiet passage.
She pedaled the organ while the choir sang.
nouncountablemusic
A lever on a musical instrument, especially a piano, that changes the sound or makes it softer.
Grammar: Usually used with the or a: press the pedal, hold the pedal down.
Patterns
- press the pedal
- hold the pedal down
- the soft pedal
Press the pedal to make the notes last longer.
The piece sounds softer when you use the left pedal.
Word forms
| plural | pedals |
|---|---|
| third person singular | pedals |
| past tense | pedaled |
| past participle | pedaled |
| -ing form | pedaling |
| British past tense | pedalled |
| British past participle | pedalled |
| British -ing form | pedalling |
Common combinations
- brake pedal
- The brake pedal felt soft, so the mechanic checked the brakes.
- gas pedal
- In the US you press the gas pedal; in Britain you press the accelerator.
- pedal a bike
- The children pedaled their bikes around the park all afternoon.
- pedal hard
- You have to pedal hard to get up this slope.
- press the pedal
- Press the pedal slowly and the machine will start.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lever
- A lever is any bar you push or pull to work a machine, while a pedal is specifically one you work with your foot.
- footrest
- A footrest only supports your feet and does not control anything, so it is not a pedal.
Word family
- pedaler noun
- A person who pedals, especially a cyclist.
- pedal boat noun
- A small boat that you move by turning pedals with your feet.
Commonly confused: pedal or peddle? pedal or paddle?
pedal vs peddle
Peddle means to sell goods, often by going from place to place; pedal is the foot lever or the act of pushing it. Both sound the same in American English.
pedal vs paddle
A paddle is a short pole used to row a boat or a light bat; it sounds similar but has a different vowel sound and meaning.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'pedal' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Pedaled' means pushed the pedals of the bike. 'Peddled' means sold goods, 'paddled' means rowed a boat, and 'pedal' is the wrong form after 'he' in the past.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pedal”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.