adj, adv, noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   A cast or throw back.
2. 2
   A backward stroke, or a stroke driving one back.
3. 3
   Any discouragement or cause of relapse or failure. figuratively
4. 4
   Misfortune; reverse; reversal; a relapse in health or illness; moral backsliding. UK, dialectal
5. 5
   Retrospect; hindsight. UK, dialectal

Show 1 more definition

6. 6
   backwater UK, dialectal

Verb

1. 1
   To identify the actions required in order to reach a proposed future.
2. 2
   To change retrospectively; reverse. UK, dialectal

Adjective

1. 1
   Retrospective. UK, dialectal

Adverb

1. 1
   Long ago; in the past. UK, dialectal

Synonyms

All synonyms

long agoof oldway back

Etymology

Blend of back + forecast.

Related phrases

long ago

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.