backwoods

[ bak-woodz ]

/ ˈbækˈwʊdz /

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noun

(often used with a singular verb) wooded or partially uncleared and unsettled districts.

any remote or isolated area.

adjective Also backwood, backwoodsy.

of or relating to the backwoods.

unsophisticated; uncouth.

OTHER WORDS FOR backwoods

2 hinterland, provinces, wild, woodland; sticks, boondocks, boonies, bush, backwater.

See synonyms for backwoods on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of backwoods

An Americanism dating back to 1700–10; back¹ + woods¹ (in the sense “a forest”)

Words nearby backwoods

backwards, backwash, backwater, backwater valve, backwind, backwoods, backwoodsman, backword, backwrap, backyard, baclava

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use backwoods in a sentence

Burtch was the 40th person claimed by covid-19 in sparsely populated Montmorency County, in the backwoods of northern Michigan.
Life, death and ‘hugs and prayers’: A story of covid in rural Michigan|Kayla Ruble|January 18, 2022|Washington Post
This byway’s two distinct branches—the Coastal Trail and the Forest Trail—wind through unexpected, wild, backwoods versions of Florida.
The Best East Coast Road Trips|kklein|August 8, 2021|Outside Online
Attempts to smuggle the self-styled backwoods boy into the professional class were unsuccessful.
What Mike Fanone Can't Forget|Molly Ball|August 5, 2021|Time
On trips to backwoods cabins and huts, I’ve appreciated the modesty the Rothe’s unusually long cut provides.
Kari Traa’s Røthe Long Hoodie Is Better Than a Robe|Kelly Bastone|April 4, 2021|Outside Online

Trudging off to the right, threading his way past bear traps on the ground, he comes upon a house — just what you’d expect in a backwoods horror flick.
‘Little Nightmares II’: A hypnotic, dark fairy tale|Christopher Byrd|February 9, 2021|Washington Post
He spends his days shacked up in a 400-square-foot converted turkey coop in the backwoods of Maine.
Burt’s Bees Co-Founder Burt Shavitz on the Doc ‘Burt’s Buzz,’ and Losing Millions|Marlow Stern|September 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He suspected that the driver, who was identified as Cody Alan Legebokoff, was poaching in the backwoods.
A Teen Serial Killer in Canada?|Christine Pelisek|October 23, 2011|DAILY BEAST
So, beneath all the changes that had come to her backwoods lover, Sammy felt that Ollie himself was unchanged.
The Shepherd of the Hills|Harold Bell Wright
To the simple girl of the backwoods, he succeeded in making the life in the city appear very wonderful, indeed.
The Shepherd of the Hills|Harold Bell Wright
If he is wise, he will stay in the backwoods to be worshipped for he'll find that his size won't count for much in the world.
The Shepherd of the Hills|Harold Bell Wright
Even in comparatively civilized American backwoods, a person who has killed a bully has been thought a public benefactor.
Ancient Faiths And Modern|Thomas Inman
Prestige is nowhere held at higher premium than in the backwoods.
The Watchers of the Trails|Charles G. D. Roberts

British Dictionary definitions for backwoods

backwoods

/ (ˈbækwʊdz) /

pl n

mainly US and Canadian partially cleared, sparsely populated forests

any remote sparsely populated place

(modifier) of, from, or like the backwoods

(modifier) uncouth; rustic

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

backwoods

OTHER WORDS FOR backwoods

Origin of backwoods

Words nearby backwoods

Words related to backwoods

How to use backwoods in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for backwoods