What does "aback" mean?
An inscribed stone square.
Aback
/əˈbæk/ adv, noun
adv, noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An inscribed stone square.
- Grammar: aback is listed as adv, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: astonished, backward, backwind, rearward.
- Useful contrasts: ahead, calm, composed.
- Usage evidence: I was taken aback at the shadow.
How to use "aback"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "aback" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "aback" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "aback" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "aback" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "aback" is acting as adv, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "astonished" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "aback", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An inscribed stone square. Early, Modern, obsolete
"In the Centre, or midst of the Pegm, there was an Aback, or Square, wherein this Elogy was written."
Adverb
- 1 Towards the back or rear; backwards. Geordie, archaic, not-comparable
"The mild, though licentious reign, of Louis the Sixteenth, threw France far aback, in her ambitious career; but it gave birth to that revolution, wherein, her warlike propensities and territorial resources were unfolded with tenfold efficacy."
- 2 In the rear; a distance behind. archaic, not-comparable
"There are so many canes upon Reliance that the labourers could not cut those aback, as they prefer cutting those in front. The cane fields aback were in cultivation last year."
- 3 By surprise; startled; dumbfounded. (see usage) not-comparable
"I would rather board a hundred of the enemy's frigates, than steer my boat into a fleet of modest women, for a modest woman never fails to take me aback."
- 4 Backward against the mast; said of the sails when pressed by the wind from the "wrong" (forward) side, or of a ship when its sails are set that way. not-comparable
"Q. Was not the Trident at that time aback with one or more Top-sails? A. To the best of my Knowledge she had both Top-sails aback."
Adverb
- 1 by surprise wordnet
- 2 having the wind against the forward side of the sails wordnet
Example
"I was taken aback at the shadow."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "aback"?
Common synonyms include: astonished, backward, backwind, rearward, short, startled.
How do you use "aback" in a sentence?
I was taken aback at the shadow.
How do you pronounce "aback"?
Pronounced /əˈbæk/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English abak, from Old English onbæc, equivalent to a- (“towards”) + back. Compare West Frisian tebek (“aback”, adverb, literally “to/at back”), Swedish tillbaka (idem.).
Etymology 2
From Latin abacus.