What does "jaywalk" mean?

To behave as a jaywalker; to violate pedestrian traffic regulations by crossing a street away from a designated crossing or to walk in the part of the street intended for vehicles rather than on the sidewalk.

What is a synonym for "jaywalk"?

Common synonyms include: ambulate, ankle, circumambulate, foot, foot it, hoof.

How do you pronounce "jaywalk"?

Pronounced //ˈd͡ʒeɪ.wɔːk//.

Jaywalk

//ˈd͡ʒeɪ.wɔːk// verb

verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Verb

1
To behave as a jaywalker; to violate pedestrian traffic regulations by crossing a street away from a designated crossing or to walk in the part of the street intended for vehicles rather than on the sidewalk. US, intransitive, transitive
2
cross the road at a red light wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

ambulate ankle circumambulate foot foot it hoof

Example

More examples

"Law-abiding citizens don't jaywalk."

Etymology

Back-formation from jaywalker. Analyzable as jay (“a stupid person”) + walk.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.