backwoods

American  

[bak-woodz] / ˈbækˈwʊdz /

noun

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

2. any remote or isolated area.

   Synonyms:

   backwater, bush, boonies, boondocks, woodland, wild, hinterland

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adjective

1. of or relating to the backwoods.

2. unsophisticated; uncouth.

backwoods British  

/ ˈbækwʊdz /

plural noun

1. partially cleared, sparsely populated forests

2. any remote sparsely populated place

3. (modifier) of, from, or like the backwoods

4. (modifier) uncouth; rustic

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Etymology

Origin of backwoods

An Americanism dating back to 1700–10; back ¹ + woods ¹ (in the sense “a forest”)

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

backwoods

The stories from “Heart Songs” take place in backwoods Vermont, but most of Ms. Proulx’s work is set in Wyoming.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026

Last fall, indie pop auteur Tei Shi immersed herself in the British Columbia backwoods during a creative retreat — an experience that helped her reclaim artistic control over her decade-long career.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2025

A hiker who was lost in the backwoods of British Columbia for more than five weeks has been found alive.

From BBC ● Nov. 27, 2024

Rust Cohle slow dances with murmurings about Carcosa in Season 1, and the anthology’s creator Nic Pizzolatto spiced up the mystique by depositing backwoods fetishes near crime scenes.

From Salon ● Feb. 5, 2024

Years ago a friend and I were served hickory milk in rural Georgia by an eccentric backwoods artist named St. EOM who claimed Creek descent.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

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Related Words

• backcountry
• outback

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