jaywalk

IPA/ˈdʒeɪwɔːk/
KK[dʒˈewˌɔk]IPA/ˈdʒeɪwɔːk/

jaywalk — verb

  • jaywalkpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • jaywalkshe / she / it
  • jaywalkedpast simple
  • jaywalking-ing form

1. to cross a road on foot where the law does not allow it, for example at a point

1.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to cross a road on foot where the law does not allow it, for example at a point without a marked walkway or while the traffic signal shows green for vehicles, putting yourself at risk of being hit by a car

Example

Yuki was fined for jaywalking across the busy four-lane road in the rain.

passive: be fined for jaywalking

Diego jaywalked across the street because the nearest crosswalk was three blocks away.

Common collocations
  • jaywalk across + street/road
  • jaywalk without looking
  • fine someone for jaywalking
  • nearly get hit while jaywalking
Synonyms
Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

jaywalk across + [street/road]

Usage Note

Almost always used in continuous or infinitive form (jaywalking, to jaywalk). The noun gerund 'jaywalking' is more common than the base verb in legal and news contexts. This word is chiefly American English; British English prefers 'cross the road illegally' or 'dart across the road'.

Common Mistakes

She walked across the street where there was no crosswalk.
She jaywalked across the street.
'jaywalk' specifically means crossing where it is illegal to do so, not merely walking where there is no crosswalk.
He jaywalked the street.
He jaywalked across the street.
'jaywalk' is intransitive and needs a preposition ('across') before the object.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Jaywalk is the only term that specifically carries a legal meaning — it describes crossing a street in a way that violates traffic rules, regardless of whether there is danger. 'Dart across' focuses on sudden, fast movement and may be legal or illegal depending on the context. 'Cross illegally' is a more formal, descriptive phrase used in official reports rather than everyday conversation. 'Run across the road' simply describes the physical action without any legal implication. For example: 'The pedestrian jaywalked right in front of the police car' implies a clear rule violation, while 'The child ran across the road to reach the ice-cream truck' is about speed, not illegality.

jaywalk ↗dart acrosscross illegallyrun across the road

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • fine for jaywalking
  • jaywalk across the street
  • get a ticket for jaywalking

Prepositions

Etymology

English (American slang)English

Formed by combining 'jay' (an old slang term for a foolish or inexperienced person, dating from the early 1900s) with 'walk'. The word was promoted in the 1910s and 1920s by the automobile industry in the United States, which wanted to shift the blame for traffic accidents from drivers to pedestrians. Before 'jaywalking' became common, the term 'jay driving' existed for drivers who stayed on the wrong side of the road. Over time, 'jaywalking' became the standard legal term for crossing a street in an illegal or unsafe place.