It is unlucky to walk widdershins around a church.
Source: wiktionary
Widdershins
/ˈwɪ.dɚ.ʃɪnz/
Synonyms for "widdershins" (40 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (8)
Strong matches (12)
asternawaybackbackwardbackwardsclockwisecounterclockwiseearthwardfrohead over heelsheavenwardheels over head
Related words (20)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: a rebours, a reculons, against the grain, anticlockwise, arear.
- Sentence evidence is available for widdershins, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, derived_reverse.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "widdershins".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "widdershins"
Keep "widdershins" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "widdershins" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "widdershins", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "widdershins" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Sample sentences
14 total sentences available.
If Burd Ellen had gone “widishins" round the church, she would, I think, have used the best homoeopathic specific against the Elf-King's power; for "to go widishins" was the chief element in elfin practices, and if mortals wished to resist or unspell elf-craft, they, too, had "to go widershins," or they had to repeat the Paternoster backwards, which came to the same thing, or do something else contrariwise.
Source: wiktionary
Now while they rested, a flittermouse flew forth from the Witchland booths and went widdershins round the wrastling ground and so returned silently whence she came.
Source: wiktionary
Astronomers cannot help regarding the solar system as a small widdershins universe, because the real movements with which they are familiar are nearly all widdershins: the rotation of the sun on its axis, the rotation and revolution of the earth and the moon, the rotation and revolution of the planets and of most of their satellites.
Source: wiktionary
Showing 4 of 14 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "widdershins"?
Closest matches include a rebours, a reculons, against the grain, anticlockwise, arear.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "widdershins"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.