backward
- toward the back or rear.
- with the back foremost.
- in the reverse of the usual or right way: counting backward from 100.
- toward the past: to look backward over one's earlier mistakes.
- toward a less advanced state; retrogressively: Since the overthrow of the president the country has moved steadily backward.
- directed toward the back or past.
- reversed; returning: a backward movement; a backward journey.
- behind in time or progress; late; slow: a backward learner; a backward country.
- bashful or hesitant; shy: a backward lover.
- backward and forward, thoroughly: He knew his lesson backward and forward.Also backwards and forwards.
Origin of backward
Synonyms for backward
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comAntonyms for backward
Examples from the Web for backwards
Contemporary Examples of backwards
Since bandwidth has become reasonable, paying extra for it feels like a backwards move.
Porn Fights For Your Right to Surf: Pornhub, YouPorn, and Redtube Lead Charge For Net NeutralityAurora Snow
September 13, 2014
In the search for an alternative, both writers looked not forward, but backwards.
Speaking up about this backwards philosophy is actually how she got the gig.
Who’s That ‘Bum’ Girl? The Brit Telling Americans How To Wipe Their AssesSara Lieberman
June 16, 2014
People are jumping forwards and backwards, and the results are haunting and moving.The making-of-the-video is worth a watch.
Kerry responded that Peres had it backwards: this was a matter of the parties' agency.
Historical Examples of backwards
Up and down, backwards and forwards, inside and out, and all hands around.
A Woman TenderfootGrace Gallatin Seton-Thompson
There are three ways of doing this, forwards, backwards, and sideways.
OrchesographyJohn Weaver
Steps which move forwards or backwards, shall be taken to be in the fourth Position.
OrchesographyJohn Weaver
He knew them, he would have informed you, backwards and forwards.
The Innocent AdventuressMary Hastings Bradley
And unless we secure it, there will be only a march backwards.
Another SheafJohn Galsworthy
backwards
backward
- towards the rear
- with the back foremost
- in the reverse of usual order or direction
- to or towards the past
- into a worse statethe patient was slipping backwards
- towards the point of origin
- bend over backwards, lean over backwards or fall over backwards informal to make a special effort, esp in order to please
- know backwards informal to understand completely
backward
- (usually prenominal) directed towards the reara backward glance
- retarded in physical, material, or intellectual developmentbackward countries; a backward child
- of or relating to the past; conservative or reactionary
- (in combination)backward-looking
- reluctant or bashfula backward lover
- chess (of a pawn) behind neighbouring pawns and unable to be supported by them
- a variant of backwards
Word Origin and History for backwards
1510s, from backward with adverbial genitive. Figurative phrase bend over backwards is recorded from 1901.
backward
c.1300, from abakward, from Old English on bæc (see back (adv.)) + -weard adjectival and adverbial suffix (see -ward). Old English had the adverb bæcling. As an adjective, from 1550s. Meaning "behindhand with regard to progress" is first attested 1690s. To ring bells backward (from lowest to highest), c.1500, was a signal of alarm for fire or invasion, or to express dismay. Another Middle English word for "backward, wrongly" was arseward (c.1400).
Idioms and Phrases with backwards
backward
In addition to the idiom beginning with backward
- backward and forward
also see:
- bend over backward
- fall over (backwards)
- know like a book (backwards and forwards)