podestrian
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
A pedestrian who listens to music (in particular, using an iPod) while walking and thus has lessened situational awareness.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
Some Londoners have a death wish. Every day I slam on the bike brakes to avoid ploughing into people blissfully unaware of traffic thanks to their iPods ... Podestrians, as they've been labeled, wander blindly into moving traffic, smiling happily to Neil diamond.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “podestrian” mean?
A pedestrian who listens to music (in particular, using an iPod) while walking and thus has lessened situational awareness.
Is “podestrian” formal or informal?
podestrian is generally slang.