What does "onward" mean?
To keep going; to progress or persevere.
Onward
/ˈɒnwəd/ adj, adv, verb
adj, adv, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To keep going; to progress or persevere.
- Grammar: onward is listed as adj, adv, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: ahead, forth, forward, advancing.
- Useful contrasts: back, backward, ceasing.
- Usage evidence: And I’m not sure there’s anyone better at yanking up their galoshes and trudging onward in the face of loss.
How to use "onward"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "onward" 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 "onward" 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 "onward" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "onward" 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 "onward" is acting as adj, adv, verb 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 "ahead" 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 "onward", 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
Verb
- 1 To keep going; to progress or persevere. intransitive
"The aim of the preacher who in the best sense would be up-to-date should comprize the homiletic method which, while following in a degree the example of the fathers, tries to formulate truth in clear and philosophical statements, not essaying a muddy theology or priding itself on a vague, vacuous mysticism, communing with the great minds of the ages from Augustine down, learning something from each and following none slavishly, at every successive stage in the process of development being able distinctly to set forth th truth ascertained thus far, obeying the onwarding impulse of the true investigator without keeping things forever so "fluid" that no precipitate of dependable doctrine is ever rendered, […]"
- 2 To pass (something) onward; to forward. transitive
"The application has been delivered to the Nanking department of the Waichiaopu on January 19th for being kindly onwarded to Chungking."
Adjective
- 1 Moving forward. not-comparable
"There was an onward rush as the gates opened."
- 2 Advanced in a forward direction or toward an end.
"Within a while, Philoxenus came to see how onward the fruits were of his friend's labour."
Adverb
- 1 In a forward direction. not-comparable
"[…] yonder cloud That rises upward always higher, And onward drags a labouring breast, And topples round the dreary west, A looming bastion fringed with fire."
Adverb
- 1 in a forward direction wordnet
- 2 forward in time or order or degree wordnet
Example
"And I’m not sure there’s anyone better at yanking up their galoshes and trudging onward in the face of loss."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "onward"?
Common synonyms include: ahead, forth, forward, advancing, advancing, ahead.
How do you use "onward" in a sentence?
And I’m not sure there’s anyone better at yanking up their galoshes and trudging onward in the face of loss.
How do you pronounce "onward"?
Pronounced /ˈɒnwəd/.
Etymology
From on + -ward.