jaywalk

Meanings

verbjaywalk (third-person singular simple present jaywalks, present participle jaywalking, simple past and past participle jaywalked)

present singular third person jaywalks · participle present jaywalking · participle past jaywalked · past jaywalked · alternative nonstandard J walk · alternative nonstandard J-walk

USintransitivetransitiveautomotiveTo 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.

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

Chinese Cantonese 亂過馬路 /乱过马路

Chinese Mandarin 亂穿馬路 /乱穿马路

Finnish ylittää tie väärin jalankulkijana

French traverser en dehors des clous

Hungarian szabálytalanul kel át

Italian attraversare fuori dalle strisce

Japanese 信号無視する

Portuguese atravessar no meio da rua

Russian неосторо́жно переходи́ть у́лицу, зева́ть по сторона́м

неосторо́жно переходи́ть у́лицу (neostoróžno perexodítʹ úlicu)violate pedestrian traffic regulations
зева́ть по сторона́м (zevátʹ po storonám)violate pedestrian traffic regulations

Spanish cruzar la calle sin prudencia, cruzar la rúa impudentemente

Cite this entry

APA

jaywalk. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/jaywalk

MLA

“jaywalk.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/jaywalk. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “jaywalk,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/jaywalk.

Source: jaywalk on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.