Pronunciations (4)
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/ˈbæk.wə(ɹ)d/
Pronunciation notes
- Received-Pronunciation
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/ˈbækwɚd/
Pronunciation notes
- US
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ˈbæk.wə(ɹ)d
Pronunciation notes
- GB
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ˈbækwɚd
Pronunciation notes
- US
Adjective
Indicating position or direction. Situated toward or at the rear of something.
- Examples
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The silt collects in the backward part of the tank.
Indicating position or direction. Acting or moving in the direction opposite to that in which someone or something is facing.
- Examples
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a backward tilt of the head
Indicating position or direction. Acting or moving in the direction opposite to the usual direction of movement.
- Synonyms
- Examples
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The occasional apparent backward movement of planets is evidence that they revolve around the sun.
Engage the lock to prevent backward rotation of the wheel.
Indicating position or direction. Acting or moving oppositely to the desired direction of progress.
Usage- Figurative
- Examples
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This is a backward step for the country.
Indicating position or direction. Reversed in order or sequence.
- Examples
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This backward writing is hard to read.
Expressing lack of development or advancement. Retarded in development; not as advanced as would be expected.
Usage- Figurative
- Examples
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The child is backward in his school work.
More examples (1)
The effect is to retard their progress—giving them too little opportunity and too little incentive for copying the language of adults— and a little later the child is pained and the parents' ears tingle at hearing a chance remark: “ How terribly backward she is about talking."
The fact that a child is backward in talking is no sign of defective intelligence, nor does it prove that it will be a slow pupil.
More examples (1)
Rickety children are backward in teething, and when the teeth do appear, they decay very rapidly. The children are backward in walking and backward in talking and the soft-spot (fontanel) on the top of the head remains open months longer than it should.
Expressing lack of development or advancement. Of a culture, country, practice etc., undeveloped or unsophisticated.
Usage- Figurative
- Examples
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They were a backward people without any writing.
More examples (1)
Most cruelly, the immediate security interests of the United States and the states surrounding Somalia are now to keep it a failed state, to prevent Islamists from consolidating even a weak state centered on Mogadishu. The leader of the victorious faction, one Aden Hashi 'Ayro, is said to be a veteran of Afghanistan; he knows well what a small sanctuary in a backward corner of the globe can mean for al Qaeda.
Expressing lack of development or advancement. Slow to apprehend; having difficulties in learning.
Usage- Figurative
- Examples
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a backward child
Expressing lack of development or advancement. Lacking progressive or enlightened thought; outdated.
Usage- Figurative
- Antonyms
- Examples
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The party’s ideas and policies are very backward.
Expressing lack of development or advancement. Late or behindhand.
Usage- Figurative
- Examples
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a backward season
More examples (2)
"[…] I've a job of work to finish tonight; mourning, as must be in time for the funeral to-morrow; and grandfather has been out moss- hunting, and will not be home till late." "Oh, how charming it will be! I'll help you if you're backward. Have you much to do?"
We have had a long run of heavy, wet and squally weather; the dry season is two months backward, and the Lepidoptera have not appeared so abundantly as they should have done.
Rickety children are backward in teething, and when the teeth do appear, they decay very rapidly.
Reluctant or unwilling to advance or act; shy.
Usage- often
- in negative constructions
- Examples
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She certainly isn’t backward in coming forward!
More examples (1)
Then her eyes, always alert for the affairs of her kitchen, fell on some action of the Chinese cook which aroused her violent disapproval. She turned on him with a torrent of abuse. The Chink was not backward to defend himself, and a very lively quarrel ensued.
Don’t be backward in suggesting story ideas to local media but always think of the wants, needs and desires of their readers when selling-in story ideas.
Of a pawn, further behind than pawns of the same colour on adjacent files and unable to be moved forward safely.
On that part of the field behind the batsman's popping crease.
Further behind the batsman's popping crease than something else.
Unwilling; averse; reluctant.
Usage- Obsolete
- Examples
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For wiser brutes were backward to be slaves.
Already past or gone; bygone.
Usage- Obsolete
- Synonyms
- Examples
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The soul forgets her schemes of Hope and Pride, / and flies unconscious o'er each backward year.
Adverb
At, near or towards the rear of something.
- Examples
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The passenger turned around and walked backward, towards the tail of the aircraft.
In a direction opposite to that in which someone or something is facing or normally pointing.
- Examples
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He tilted his head backward.
The grandfather clock toppled backward and crashed to the ground.
More examples (1)
Her arm was bent backward at an odd angle.
In a direction opposite to the usual direction of movement.
- Examples
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In reverse gear the wheel turns backward.
Oppositely to the desired direction of progress, or from a better to a worse state.
Usage- Figurative
- Examples
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This project seems to be going backward.
The work went backward.
In a reversed orientation; back to front.
- Examples
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He had his cap on backward.
In a reversed order or sequence.
- Examples
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A palindrome reads the same backward as forward.
Toward or into the past.
- Examples
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As we begin the new millennium, it behoves us to look backward as well as forward.
In the past.
Usage- Obsolete
By way of reflection; reflexively.
- Examples
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the Mind can backward caſt Upon herself, her understanding Light
More examples (1)
It was still possible — perhaps it might be inevitable — for him to accept frankly the altered conditions, and avow Baldassarre's existence; but hardly without casting an unpleasant light backward on his original reticence[…]
Noun
The state behind or past.
- Examples
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In the dark backward and abysm of time.
Verb
To keep back, to delay, to retard.
Usage- Dated
- Transitive
- Related words
Adjective
directed or facing toward the back or rear
- Antonyms
- Examples
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a backward view
(used of temperament or behavior) marked by a retiring nature
- Antonyms
- Examples
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a backward lover
retarded in intellectual development
having made less than normal progress
- Examples
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an economically backward country
Adverb
at or to or toward the back or rear
- Antonyms
- Examples
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he moved back
tripped when he stepped backward
More examples (1)
she looked rearward out the window of the car
in a manner or order or direction the reverse of normal
- Synonyms
- Examples
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it's easy to get the ‘i’ and the ‘e’ backward in words like ‘seize’ and ‘siege’
the child put her jersey on backward
in or to or toward a past time
- Synonyms
- Antonyms
- Examples
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set the clocks back an hour
never look back
More examples (1)
lovers of the past looking fondly backward