toward

[ preposition tawrd, tohrd, tuh-wawrd, twawrd, twohrd; adjective tawrd, tohrd ]
See synonyms for toward on Thesaurus.com
prepositionAlso to·wards .
  1. in the direction of: to walk toward the river.

  2. with a view to obtaining or having; for: They're saving money toward a new house.

  1. in the area or vicinity of; near: Our cabin is toward the top of the hill.

  2. turned to; facing: Her back was toward me.

  3. shortly before; close to: toward midnight.

  4. as a help or contribution to: to give money toward a person's expenses.

  5. with respect to; as regards: his attitude toward women.

adjective
  1. about to come soon; imminent.

  2. going on; in progress; afoot: There is work toward.

  1. propitious; favorable.

  2. Obsolete.

    • promising or apt, as a student.

    • compliant; docile.

Origin of toward

1
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English tōweard; equivalent to to + -ward

Other words from toward

  • to·ward·ness, noun

Words Nearby toward

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use toward in a sentence

  • Davy looked around and saw an old man coming toward them across the lawn.

    Davy and The Goblin | Charles E. Carryl
  • She walked away toward another door, which was masked with a curtain that she lifted.

    Confidence | Henry James
  • For it is better that thy children should ask of thee, than that thou look toward the hands of thy children.

  • Her heart fluttered violently with fear as she saw that he stepped out after her, and walked by her side toward the house.

    Checkmate | Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
  • And as she hesitated between obedience to one and duty toward the other, her life, her love and future was in the balance.

    The Homesteader | Oscar Micheaux

British Dictionary definitions for toward

toward

adjective(ˈtəʊəd)
  1. rare in progress; afoot

  2. obsolete about to happen; imminent

  1. obsolete promising or favourable

preposition(təˈwɔːd, tɔːd)
  1. a variant of towards

Origin of toward

1
Old English tōweard; see to, -ward

Derived forms of toward

  • towardness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with toward

toward

see go a long way toward.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.