Standard Lemma guide

jaywalk

verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: jāʹwôk
  • UK: /ˈd͡ʒeɪ.wɔːk/
  • jāʹwôk
  • /ˈd͡ʒeɪ.wɔːk/
  • cot-caught-merger: jāʹwäk
  • cot-caught-merger: /ˈd͡ʒeɪ.wɑːk/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: JH EY1 W AO2 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US, intransitive, transitive

Topics: automotive, law, transport, vehicles

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

cross the road at a red light

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: traverse, track, cover, cross, pass over, get over, get across, cut through, cut across

History

Etymology

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

Across languages

Translations

13 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Cantonese: 亂過馬路 /乱过马路 (lyun6 gwo3 maa5 lou6) — violate pedestrian traffic regulations
  • Chinese Mandarin: 亂穿馬路 /乱穿马路 (luàn chuān mǎlù) — violate pedestrian traffic regulations
  • Finnish: ylittää tie väärin jalankulkijana — violate pedestrian traffic regulations
  • French: traverser en dehors des clous — violate pedestrian traffic regulations
  • Georgian: ქვეითად გაუფრთხილებლად სიარული (kveitad gauprtxileblad siaruli) — violate pedestrian traffic regulations
  • Hungarian: szabálytalanul kel át — violate pedestrian traffic regulations
  • Italian: attraversare fuori dalle strisce — violate pedestrian traffic regulations
  • Japanese: 信号無視する (shingōmushi suru) — violate pedestrian traffic regulations
  • Portuguese: atravessar no meio da rua — violate pedestrian traffic regulations
  • Russian: неосторо́жно переходи́ть у́лицу (neostoróžno perexodítʹ úlicu) — violate pedestrian traffic regulations
  • Russian: зева́ть по сторона́м (zevátʹ po storonám) — violate pedestrian traffic regulations
  • Spanish: cruzar la calle sin prudencia — violate pedestrian traffic regulations
  • Spanish: cruzar la rúa impudentemente — violate pedestrian traffic regulations