˜yÐÄvlog

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View synonyms for

backward

[ bak-werd ]

adverb

  1. toward the back or rear.

    Antonyms:

  2. with the back foremost.
  3. in the reverse of the usual or right way:

    counting backward from 100.

  4. toward the past:

    to look backward over one's earlier mistakes.

  5. toward a less advanced state; retrogressively:

    Since the overthrow of the president the country has moved steadily backward.



adjective

  1. directed toward the back or past.
  2. reversed; returning:

    a backward movement;

    a backward journey.

  3. behind in time or progress; late; slow:

    a backward learner;

    a backward country.

    Synonyms: , ,

  4. bashful or hesitant; shy:

    a backward lover.

    Synonyms: , ,

backward

/ ˈ²úæ°ì·ÉÉ™»å /

adjective

  1. usually prenominal directed towards the rear

    a backward glance

  2. retarded in physical, material, or intellectual development

    a backward child

    backward countries

    1. of or relating to the past; conservative or reactionary
    2. ( in combination )

      backward-looking

  3. reluctant or bashful

    a backward lover

  4. chess (of a pawn) behind neighbouring pawns and unable to be supported by them
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged†2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adverb

  1. a variant of backwards
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged†2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈ²ú²¹³¦°ì·É²¹°ù»å±ô²â, adverb
  • ˈ²ú²¹³¦°ì·É²¹°ù»å²Ô±ð²õ²õ, noun
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Other ˜yÐÄvlog Forms

  • ²ú²¹³¦°ì··É²¹°ù»å·±ô²â adverb
  • ²ú²¹³¦°ì··É²¹°ù»å·²Ô±ð²õ²õ noun
  • ³Ü²Ô·²ú²¹³¦°ì··É²¹°ù»å adjective
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˜yÐÄvlog History and Origins

Origin of backward1

First recorded in 1250–1300, backward is from the Middle English word bakwarde. See back 1, -ward
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Idioms and Phrases

  1. backward and forward, thoroughly: Also backwards and forwards.

    He knew his lesson backward and forward.

More idioms and phrases containing backward

In addition to the idiom beginning with backward , also see bend over backward ; fall over (backwards) ; know like a book (backwards and forwards) .
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

I walked backward as I was blowing this whistle, to the point of pain in my ears, a quarter of a mile to the trailhead all while that massive bear was following me.

From

It turns out his card is inserted backward, fitting for a man who feels a little out of place here.

From

But he was decidedly against holding any officials accountable for what had occurred, preferring, as he so memorably put it, to “look forward, not backward.â€

From

He threatens judges he doesn't think are favorable enough to him with the expectation that they will bend over backward to show "fairness" and prove they are not biased as he claims they are.

From

“This isn’t just a step backward — it’s a wrecking ball aimed at decades of progress,†said Guillermo Ortiz, senior clean vehicles advocate with the Natural Resources Defense Council.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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