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walk on by

B2 neutral inseparable intransitive

In simple words

Keep walking and don't stop to help, even when someone needs you.

Literal meaning: To walk and go past without pausing.

Meanings

1 B2 idiomatic neutral

uncommon

To pass someone in need without stopping to help, implying indifference or a conscious choice not to get involved.

"When he saw the injured bird on the pavement, he couldn't just walk on by."

"If you see somebody in need, don't walk on by."

Grammar: inseparable

2 B1 neutral

uncommon

Used literally to describe the physical act of passing a place or person without stopping.

"She walked on by without even glancing at the shop window."

"Walk on by, wait on the corner."
— Burt Bacharach / Hal David, 'Walk On By' (recorded by Dionne Warwick, 1964)

Grammar: inseparable

Usage notes

Strongly associated with the 1964 Dionne Warwick song 'Walk On By', giving it a literary/emotional resonance. Often used in discussions of social responsibility and bystander behaviour.

Commonly used with

stranger homeless injustice suffering need bystander

Forms

Base

walk on by

I/you/we/they

3rd person

walks on by

he/she/it

Past simple

walked on by

yesterday

Past participle

walked on by

have + pp

-ing form

walking on by

continuous

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Synonyms

ignore pass by turn a blind eye look the other way walk past

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