Pedestrians jumped, startled.

Meaning: People on the sidewalk were surprised and moved quickly.

Choice of Words: The verb jumped indicates a sudden and quick movement, while startled describes the emotional state of the pedestrians.

Alternative Expressions

People on the sidewalk hopped and gasped.

Meaning: This sentence describes a group of individuals who were walking on the sidewalk and suddenly reacted with a combination of jumping and gasping, likely due to something unexpected or startling.

Choice of Words: People refers to a group of individuals. On the sidewalk indicates a specific location where these people are situated. Hopped means to jump or skip, and gasped suggests a sudden intake of breath due to surprise or shock.

Folks walking on the pavement leaped and exclaimed in surprise.

Meaning: This sentence similarly describes a group of people who were walking on the pavement and responded to an unexpected event by leaping and expressing their surprise verbally.

Choice of Words: Folks is another informal term for people. Pavement is a synonym for sidewalk. Leaped is a more dramatic term for jumped, emphasizing the sudden and energetic nature of the action. Exclaimed in surprise conveys the verbal expression of astonishment or shock.

Pedestrians on the footpath jumped and gasped in astonishment.

Meaning: This sentence focuses on the fact that the individuals were walking on the footpath and their reaction of jumping and gasping was prompted by a feeling of astonishment, emphasizing the unexpected nature of the event.

Choice of Words: Pedestrians specifically refers to people who are walking. Footpath is another term for sidewalk. Gasped in astonishment highlights the intensity of the surprise or shock experienced by the individuals.

Related Expressions