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• froward
  froward

  adjective

  willfully contrary; not easily managed.
• Froward
  Froward

  noun

  Cape, a cape in S Chile, on the Strait of Magellan: southernmost point of mainland South America.

froward

¹ American  

[froh-werd, froh-erd] / ˈfroʊ wərd, ˈfroʊ ərd /

adjective

1. willfully contrary; not easily managed.

   to be worried about one's froward, intractable child.

   Synonyms:

   difficult, unmanageable, wayward, fractious, disobedient, willful, obstinate

   Antonyms:

   tractable, docile

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Froward ² American  

[froh-werd, froh-erd] / ˈfroʊ wərd, ˈfroʊ ərd /

noun

1. Cape, a cape in S Chile, on the Strait of Magellan: southernmost point of mainland South America.

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froward British  

/ ˈfrəʊəd /

adjective

1. archaic obstinate; contrary

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Other Word Forms

• frowardness
  noun
• unfroward
  adjective
• frowardly
  adverb
• unfrowardly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of froward

First recorded in 1150–1200, froward is from the Middle English word froward, fraward. See fro, -ward

Explanation

Froward means willful and disobedient. If your dog sits when you call her to come and runs away when you tell her to sit, you can say she's froward. The adverb froward is an old-fashioned way to describe someone who's difficult and ornery. It's a lot more fun to babysit agreeable kids than froward ones. New teachers have nightmares about classes full of froward students and are relieved to find pleasant and polite ones on the first day of school. The Old English root of froward is frāward, "turning away from," or the opposite of toward.

Example Sentences

Froward reform is almost as pernicious as selfish conservatism.

From Lincoln, the Politician by Levy, T. Aaron

From Cape Froward to the westward, unless favoured by a fair wind, it is necessary to persevere and take advantage of every opportunity of advancing step by step.

From Narrative of the surveying voyages of His Majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle, between the years 1826 and 1836 Volume I. - Proceedings of the First Expedition, 1826-1830 by Fitzroy, Robert

From that very time, this poor Whetford was utterly spoilt, and grew a Tempted, Froward, Crazed sort of a Woman; a vexation to her self, and all about her; and many ways unreasonable.

From The Wonders of the Invisible World Being an Account of the Tryals of Several Witches Lately Executed in New-England, to which is added A Farther Account of the Tryals of the New-England Witches by Mather, Cotton

That, said my father, I never should have, for that he would never consent to my marrying anybody but Lady Clara Froward.

From Forgotten Tales of Long Ago by Bedford, F. D.

I had often told my father that I could never marry Lady Clara Froward, for that I was attached to another lady, and only wished for his consent to marry her.

From Forgotten Tales of Long Ago by Bedford, F. D.