backwater
Americannoun
-
water held or forced back, as by a dam, flood, or tide.
-
a place or state of stagnant backwardness.
This area of the country is a backwater that continues to resist progress.
-
an isolated, peaceful place.
-
a stroke executed by pushing a paddle forward, causing a canoe to move backward.
noun
-
a body of stagnant water connected to a river
-
water held or driven back, as by a dam, flood, or tide
-
an isolated, backward, or intellectually stagnant place or condition
verb
Etymology
Origin of backwater
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
By 2001 the paper profits pushed Ireland’s gross domestic product per capita ahead of Britain’s, fed a housing boom, and turned Dublin from a dirty backwater into a glossy tourist hub.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 7, 2025
America’s transformation during the 19th century from an agrarian backwater into a global power was captained by men who engaged in maneuvers that would be completely illegal today but weren’t at the time.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 2, 2025
It had about three houses, and right in the middle there was a sign over a building saying “Casino,” and it had a slot machine in, so it was a real American backwater.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 9, 2025
Im scraped together low-value land in a backwater known for its seedy motels and opened the theme park — a decision his friends disparaged.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2024
Aegon the Dragon had destroyed the Old Way when he burned Black Harren, gave Harren's kingdom back to the weakling rivermen, and reduced the Iron Islands to an insignificant backwater of a much greater realm.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
