backward

Meaning

Adj

1. Indicating position or direction.
2. Indicating position or direction.
3. Indicating position or direction.
4. (figuratively) Indicating position or direction.
5. Indicating position or direction.
6. (figuratively) Expressing lack of development or advancement.
7. (figuratively) Expressing lack of development or advancement.
8. (figuratively) Expressing lack of development or advancement.
9. (figuratively) Expressing lack of development or advancement.
10. (figuratively) Expressing lack of development or advancement.
11. (often) Reluctant or unwilling to advance or act; shy.
12. Of a pawn, further behind than pawns of the same colour on adjacent files and unable to be moved forward safely.
13. On that part of the field behind the batsman's popping crease.
14. Further behind the batsman's popping crease than something else.
15. (obsolete) Unwilling; averse; reluctant.
16. (obsolete) Already past or gone; bygone.

Adv

1. At, near or towards the rear of something.
2. In a direction opposite to that in which someone or something is facing or normally pointing.
3. In a direction opposite to the usual direction of movement.
4. (figuratively) Oppositely to the desired direction of progress, or from a better to a worse state.
5. In a reversed orientation; back to front.
6. In a reversed order or sequence.
7. Toward or into the past.
8. (obsolete) In the past.
9. By way of reflection; reflexively.

Noun

The state behind or past.

Synonyms

backwards

back

🔙

rearward

undeveloped

retarded

astern

retrograde

fall behind

unprogressive

rearwards

underdeveloped

uncultured

reverse

primitive

slow-witted

ignorant

rear

behind

regressive

outdated

stagnant

slow

lagging behind

shy

half-witted

reversed

inverse

depressed

reticent

lag behind

retreat

on one’s back

feebleminded

out-of-date

inverted

mentally deficient

uncouth

retrogressive

opposite

origin

original

outmoded

perversely

pull back

purblind

reactionary

reactionist

recede

reciprocal

regress

reluctant

retro

retroact

reversal

reverse direction

reversion

reverted

reverting

shallow

source

straggle

stupid

tardy

time delay

unentered

unreconstructed

unwilling

withdraw

wrong

back of

blate

move back

the back

towards the back

retro-

ridgy

aback

abaft

aft

after

anachronistic

averse

back up

bashful

behindhand

belated

benighted

blimpish

clumsy

converse

countryfied

coy

crude

deep

diffident

dull

embryonic

emergent

emerging

end

🔚

ensue

follow

heading

inferior

inside out

into

inversion

lag

late

laterally

loath

move away

obsolete

Translations

en arrière

rückwärts

arrière

🔙

achteruit

atrasado

rückständig

unterentwickelt

arriéré

achterwaarts

sens devant derrière

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈbæk.wə(ɹ)d/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: bakwarde

Cognate with Old Frisian: bekward

In summary

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

Sentences

The F-mount has a significant degree of both backward and forward compatibility .