passersby
People walking past
Passersby is the plural of passerby, a person who happens to be walking past a particular location.
The term typically appears in accounts of public incidents where witnesses are needed: Several passersby stopped to help the injured cyclist.
Though passersby is the standard plural, some speakers use passerby for both singular and plural, and the variant passerbys occasionally appears.
Lacking identity or features
- namelessWithout any designation
- unknownNot yet discovered
- unnoticedNot perceived by anyone
- strangersPeople unknown to you
blending in · unremarkable · indistinct · sea of faces · crowd · masses · throng · swarm
People unknown to you
- briefShort in duration
- momentaryLasting very briefly
- transientTemporary, soon departing
- ephemeralLasting very briefly
passing · glimpse · fleeting · temporary · anonymous · forgettable · chance encounter · crossing paths
Paved pedestrian pathway
- crosswalkMarked street-crossing zone
- footpathRoute for pedestrians
- walkersAmbulators or mobility aids
- commutersDaily work travelers
tourists · shoppers · locals · joggers · strollers · foot traffic · pedestrianization · curb
Energetic noisy activity
- crowdsAssembled multitudes
- storefrontsForward-facing retail exteriors
- sidewalksPaved pedestrian pathways
- streetlightsRoadside night illumination
traffic · downtown · cafes · crosswalks · billboards · metro · vendors · benches
Relaxed walk for enjoyment
- strideExtended single footstep
- saunterRelaxed, aimless stride
- ambleRelaxed, slow gait
- shuffleRandomize by mixing
meander · pace · tread · hurrying · rushing · dawdling · weaving · jostling
Brief, casual look
- watchingActively looking at something
- noticeBecome aware of
- staringGazing without break
- eyewitnessOne who saw events
gaze · onlookers · bystanders · rubbernecking · peoplewatching · witnessing · spectators · sidelong glance
faceless
Lacking identity or features
strangers · blending in · unremarkable · indistinct · sea of faces · crowd · masses · throng · swarm
strangers
People unknown to you
ephemeral · passing · glimpse · fleeting · temporary · anonymous · forgettable · chance encounter · crossing paths · ships in the night
sidewalk
Paved pedestrian pathway
commuters · tourists · shoppers · locals · joggers · strollers · foot traffic · pedestrianization · curb · pavement
bustle
Energetic noisy activity
- crowdsAssembled multitudes
- storefrontsForward-facing retail exteriors
- sidewalksPaved pedestrian pathways
streetlights · traffic · downtown · cafes · crosswalks · billboards · metro · vendors · benches · buskers
stroll
Relaxed walk for enjoyment
shuffle · meander · pace · tread · hurrying · rushing · dawdling · weaving · jostling · streaming
glance
Brief, casual look
eyewitness · gaze · onlookers · bystanders · rubbernecking · peoplewatching · witnessing · spectators · sidelong glance · double take
- pedestrianspedestrians, walkers, walking, foot traffic, jaywalkers
- people watchingpark bench, bench, airport, mall, plaza
- public spacespark, plaza, street, city parks, public parks
- populacethe masses, common folk, ordinary people, general public, hoi polloi
- non-expertsamateurs, beginners, novices, laypeople, non-experts
- street fundraisingcanvassers, clipboard, petition, donation box, face-to-face
passersbyresidents
People living somewhere
inhabitants · locals · occupants · dwellers · tenants
passersbyinterveners
Those who step between
participants · bystanders · onlookers · spectators · attendees