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Backward

//ˈbæk.wə(ɹ)d// adj, adv, noun, verb

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Indicating position or direction.; Situated toward or at the rear of something.

    "The silt collects in the backward part of the tank."

  2. 2
    Indicating position or direction.; Acting or moving in the direction opposite to that in which someone or something is facing.

    "a backward tilt of the head"

  3. 3
    Indicating position or direction.; Acting or moving in the direction opposite to the usual direction of movement.

    "The occasional apparent backward movement of planets is evidence that they revolve around the sun."

  4. 4
    Indicating position or direction.; Acting or moving oppositely to the desired direction of progress. figuratively

    "This is a backward step for the country."

  5. 5
    Indicating position or direction.; Reversed in order or sequence.

    "This backward writing is hard to read."

Show 11 more definitions
  1. 6
    Expressing lack of development or advancement.; Retarded in development; not as advanced as would be expected. figuratively

    "The child is backward in his school work."

  2. 7
    Expressing lack of development or advancement.; Of a culture, country, practice etc., undeveloped or unsophisticated. figuratively

    "They were a backward people without any writing."

  3. 8
    Expressing lack of development or advancement.; Slow to apprehend; having difficulties in learning. figuratively

    "a backward child"

  4. 9
    Expressing lack of development or advancement.; Lacking progressive or enlightened thought; outdated. figuratively

    "The party’s ideas and policies are very backward."

  5. 10
    Expressing lack of development or advancement.; Late or behindhand. figuratively

    "a backward season"

  6. 11
    Reluctant or unwilling to advance or act; shy. often

    "She certainly isn’t backward in coming forward!"

  7. 12
    Of a pawn, further behind than pawns of the same colour on adjacent files and unable to be moved forward safely.
  8. 13
    On that part of the field behind the batsman's popping crease.
  9. 14
    Further behind the batsman's popping crease than something else.
  10. 15
    Unwilling; averse; reluctant. obsolete

    "For wiser brutes were backward to be slaves."

  11. 16
    Already past or gone; bygone. obsolete

    "The soul forgets her schemes of Hope and Pride, / and flies unconscious o'er each backward year."

Adjective
  1. 1
    directed or facing toward the back or rear wordnet
  2. 2
    (used of temperament or behavior) marked by a retiring nature wordnet
  3. 3
    having made less than normal progress wordnet
  4. 4
    retarded in intellectual development wordnet
Adverb
  1. 1
    At, near or towards the rear of something.

    "The passenger turned around and walked backward, towards the tail of the aircraft."

  2. 2
    In a direction opposite to that in which someone or something is facing or normally pointing.

    "He tilted his head backward."

  3. 3
    In a direction opposite to the usual direction of movement.

    "In reverse gear the wheel turns backward."

  4. 4
    Oppositely to the desired direction of progress, or from a better to a worse state. figuratively

    "This project seems to be going backward."

  5. 5
    In a reversed orientation; back to front.

    "He had his cap on backward."

Show 4 more definitions
  1. 6
    In a reversed order or sequence.

    "A palindrome reads the same backward as forward."

  2. 7
    Toward or into the past.

    "As we begin the new millennium, it behoves us to look backward as well as forward."

  3. 8
    In the past. obsolete
  4. 9
    By way of reflection; reflexively.

    "the Mind can backward caſt Upon herself, her understanding Light"

Adverb
  1. 1
    in or to or toward a past time wordnet
  2. 2
    at or to or toward the back or rear wordnet
  3. 3
    in a manner or order or direction the reverse of normal wordnet
Noun
  1. 1
    The state behind or past.

    "In the dark backward and abysm of time."

Verb
  1. 1
    To keep back, to delay, to retard. dated, transitive

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English bakwarde, abakward, equivalent to back (adverb) + -ward. Cognate with Old Frisian bekward (“backward”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English bakwarde, abakward, equivalent to back (adverb) + -ward. Cognate with Old Frisian bekward (“backward”).

Etymology 3

From Middle English bakwarde, abakward, equivalent to back (adverb) + -ward. Cognate with Old Frisian bekward (“backward”).

Etymology 4

From Middle English bakwarde, abakward, equivalent to back (adverb) + -ward. Cognate with Old Frisian bekward (“backward”).

See also for "backward"

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