Backward

Definition: Backward

Backward

Adjective

1. Directed or facing toward the back or rear; "a backward view".

2. (used of temperament or behavior) marked by a retiring nature; "a backward lover".

3. Retarded in intellectual development.

Adverb

1. At or to or toward or the back or rear; "he moved back"; "tripped when he stepped backward"; "she looked rearward out the window of the car".

2. In a manner or order or direction the reverse of normal; "it's easy to get the `i' and the `e' backward in words like `seize' and `siege'"; "the child put her jersey on backward".

3. In or to or toward a past time; "set the clocks back an hour"; "never look back"; "lovers of the past looking fondly backward".

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "backward" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1321. (references)

Synonyms: Backward

Indication

Keyboard symbols, printing symbols; red letter, italics, sublineation, underlining, bold font; jotting; note, annotation, reference; blaze, cedilla, guillemets, hachure; quotation marks, double quotes,"", parentheses, brackets, braces, curly brackets, arrows, slashes; left parenthesis, "("; right parenthesis, ")"; opening bracket, ""; left curly brace, "{"; right curly brace, "}"; left arrow, ""; right arrow, ""; forward slash, "/"; backward slash, "\"; exclamation point, "!"; commercial at, "@"; pound sign, "#"; percent sign, "%"; carat, "^"; ampersand, "&"; asterisk, ""; hyphen, "-"; dash, "-", "_"; em dash, "--"; plus sign, "+", equals sign, "="; question mark, "?"; period, "."; semicolon, ";", colon, ":"; comma, ","; apostrophe, "'"; single quote, "'"; tilde, "~".

Lateness

Adverb: late; lateward, backward; late in the day; at sunset, at the eleventh hour, at length, at last; ultimately; after time, behind time, after the deadline; too late; too late for.

Adjective: late, tardy, slow, behindhand, serotine, belated, postliminious, posthumous, backward, unpunctual, untimely; delayed, postponed; dilatory; (slow); delayed; Verb: in abeyance.

Regression

Counter motion, retrograde motion, backward movement, motion in reverse, counter movement, counter march; veering, tergiversation, recidivation, backsliding, fall; deterioration; recidivism, recidivity.

The Past

Phrase: time was; the time has been, the time hath been; you can't go home again; fuimus Troes; fruit Ilium; hoc erat in more majorum; "O call back yesterday, bid time return"; tempi passati; "the eternal landscape of the past"; ultimus Romanorum; "what's past is prologue"; "whose yesterdays look backward with a smile".

Unwillingness

Adjective: unwilling; not in the vein, loth, loath, shy of, disinclined, indisposed, averse, reluctant, not content; adverse; (opposed); laggard, backward, remiss, slack, slow to; indifferent; scrupulous; squeamish; (fastidious); repugnant; (dislike); restiff, restive; demurring; Verb: unconsenting; (refusing); involuntary.

Crosswords: Backward

We must move forward, not backward, upward, not forward, and always twirling, twirling, twirling towards freedom (The Simpsons; writing credit: Artur Brauner; Paul Hengge)

Turn it aroundno, no, no, no, no! Because this time, it is different. This time we shall look backward, yes (Poirot; writing credit: Clive Exton; Anthony Horowitz)

Somebody's always looking for something in this part of the West. To the historian it's the Old West, to the book writer it's the Wild West, to the businessman it's the Undeveloped West -- they say we're all poor and backward, and I guess we are, we don't even have enough water (Bad Day at Black Rock; writing credit: Howard Breslin; Don McGuire)

And nearly as tragic as poor old Archbishop Wilfred slipping and falling backward onto the spire of Norwich Castle (The Black Adder; writing credit: Richard Curtis; Rowan Atkinson)

Never a Backward Step (1966)

A Triple Backward (1933)

Backward George (1926)

Gussle's Backward Way (1915)

Backward Writing (2000)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Books

• Backward to Forward: Prose Pieces (reference)

• Looking Backward (reference)

• Looking Backward from 2000 to 1887 (reference)

  (more book examples)

Theater & Movies

• The Dark Backward (reference)

  (more DVD examples; more video examples)

Music

• Just Backward of Square [IMPORT] (reference)

• The Best of Michael Franks: A Backward Glance (reference)

  (more classical music examples; more popular music examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

He bowed himself out backward. Credit: Library of Congress.

The bellowing steer was dragged backward, his left foot securely roped / E. Fuhr. Credit: Library of Congress.

Actually, it was no more than a moment or two before the prisoner found reply, but it was long enough for his tortured eye to flash inward and backward with terrible focus. Credit: Library of Congress.

Queer how backward the dear fellows seem!. Credit: Library of Congress.

Backward season. Credit: Library of Congress.

Mammoth Cave, Ky.--looking backward / Miss Johnston. Credit: Library of Congress.

Twelve-year old girl of family of nine living in one-room hut built over the chassis of abandoned Ford truck in open field on U.S. Route 70 between Camden and Bruceton, Tennessee. Near backward Tennessee section. View also shows one of the small boys in f. Credit: Library of Congress.

Homemade pile driver. Men on right run violently backward hoisting hammer on left, then slack off and repeat, thus driving pile to form current diversion. National park area near Winona, Indiana. Credit: Library of Congress.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

He risked nothing, not wishing to take a backward step

The man took two steps backward.

Prospero: What seest thou else In the dark backward and abysm of time

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Health

Patients frequently use weighted walking aids because of their tendency to fall backward. (references)

With reflux, when the bladder fills, the urine may also flow backward from the bladder up the ureters to the kidneys. (references)

Postural instability, or impaired balance and coordination, causes patients to develop a forward or backward lean and to fall easily. (references)

Business

Due to its backward technology, China's engineering plastic production sector has a small production capacity that is unable to meet the rising demand. (references)

Locally produced products still have low quality levels, due to backward production technologies used, such as crystallization, distillation, extraction, sublimation, and direct synthesis methods. (references)

The rapid rise of the fast food industry in China, both domestic and foreign, also bodes well for continued strong demand for poultry meat. China has huge market potential for processed animal products; however, officials admit that current poor product quality and backward processing techniques are hindering the advancement of the animal husbandry sector. (references)

Children

Iceland

Human rights monitors criticized this as a step backward in the protection of children's rights. (references)

Economic History

Kenya

It is Government of Kenya (GOK) policy to encourage investments that earn foreign exchange, provide employment, promote backward and forward linkages and transfer technology. (references)

South Africa

However, if the full impact of the "agro-industrial" complex with backward and forward employment linkages and multiplier effects on the rest of the economy are included, agriculture contributes at least 15 percent to the GDP. In 2000, the gross value of agricultural production is estimated at R45 billion, an increase of 2.8 percent. (references)

Human Rights

Morocco

El-Kihal also alleged to AMDH that members of the Gendarmerie tied his hands behind his back, bent him backward on his knees, and applied pressure to his stomach while fingers were forced down his throat. (references)

Minorities

India

He stated that "There is a conversion motive behind the welfare activities being carried out by some Christian missionaries in the country's backward areas, and it is not proper, although conversion is permissible under the law." During 2000 there were numerous attacks on Christians throughout the country, including a series of attacks in Uttar Pradesh in April 2000 and the bombing of a Christian meeting in Andkha Pradesh in May 2000. The Muslim extremist organization Deendar Anjuman was implicated in the bombing, several of its members were arrest and charged in connection with the incident, and the group was banned on May 3. In June 2000, Vijay Ekka, a witness in the killing earlier that month of a priest in Mathura, died in police custody. (references)

Political Economy

Turkmenistan

The seriously flawed December 1999 parliamentary (Mejilis) elections and the 1999 passage of a law exempting President Saparmurat Niyazov from term limits were backward steps. (references)

Political Rights

Kyrgyz Republic

Pressure against a major domestic election-monitoring NGO violated fundamental freedoms, a step backward in comparison with the parliamentary elections. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Expressions using "backward": backward analysis ♦ backward and forward ♦ backward and forward motion ♦ backward bend ♦ backward chaining ♦ backward child ♦ backward combatability ♦ backward compatible ♦ backward country ♦ backward dive ♦ backward erosion ♦ backward flow ♦ backward glance ♦ backward in ♦ backward indicator bit ♦ backward motion ♦ backward move of the pointer ♦ backward movement ♦ backward peoples ♦ backward position ♦ backward reasoning ♦ backward sequence number ♦ backward step ♦ backward travel ♦ backward welding ♦ backward zoom ♦ be backward ♦ class for backward children ♦ go backward ♦ look backward ♦ permanently backward ♦ reasoning backward ♦ spell backward ♦ technologically backward ♦ tip backward ♦ To ring the bells backward ♦ walk backward. Additional references.

Beginning with "backward": backward-bending, backward-compatible, backward-curving, backward-directed, backward-looking, backward-masking, backward-pointing, backward-sloping, backward-type.

Ending with "backward": forward-backward.

Afrikaans

agterlik (mentally, mentally deficient, retarded), agterwaarts (aback, backwards), agteruit (aback, backwards), agteroor (aback, back, backwards, on one's back). (various references)

Albanian

së prapthi, praptasi, prapavajtës (recessive, regressive, retrograde, retrogressive), prapanik (antiquated, retrograde), prapa (aback, after, astern, back, behind, overleaf), për keq, në të kaluarën, i prapambetur (back, barbaric, fossil, laggard, lagger), i kundërt (adverse, antagonistic, contrariety, contrary, converse, counter, cross, dissonant, divergent, negative, opposed, opposite, polar, reverse), i druajtur (bashful, chary, coy, diffluent, faint-hearted, mousey, mousy, self-effacing, shy, timid). (various references)

Arabic 

‏متخلف (absent, ataxy, behind one's back, falling behind, lagging, sloven, truant, underdeveloped), ‏متأخر عن أوانه, ‏عكسيا (inversely), ‏عكسي الإتجاه, ‏خلفي (after, hind, hindmost, posterior, rear, rearward, retro-), ‏خجول (abashed, ashamed, bashful, chary, coy, diffident, embarrassed, mean, modest, mousey, retiring, self conscious, shamefaced, sheepish, sheep's, shrinking, shy, timid), ‏الى الوراء (aback, backwards, in reverse), ‏المتخلف (lagging, moron, residual, residue), ‏المتردد, ‏الجزء الخلفي أو الماضي, ‏إرتجاعي. (various references)

Bulgarian 

стеснителен (diffident, gauche, modest, mousey, retiring, self conscious, shamefaced, sheepish, shrinking, timid, unassertive), умствено недоразвит, физически недоразвит, колеблив (doubtful, dubious, faltering, fitful, halting, hesitant, hesitating, infirm, irresolute, labile, pendulous, queasy, rickety, rocky, tardy, tentative, vacillating, versatile, wavering, wobbly, yo-yo), обратен (back, contrary, converse, counter, cross, inverse, inversive, obverse, opposite, reactive, reciprocal, retrograde, return, reverse, wrong), неохотен (averse, reluctant, unwilling), назадничав (retrograde), назад (aback, about, aft, after, astern, back, behind, lunge, rearwards, sternward), муден (bovine, costive, dilatory, floppy, inactive, inert, laggard, languid, long, phlegmatic, slothful, slow, sluggish, stagnant, sulky, sullen, supine, tardy), изостанал (slow, underdeveloped). (various references)

Chinese 

落后 (Backwards, Trailed, trailing), 落後 (fall behind, lag), 向後 . (various references)

Czech

zaostalý (behindhand, subnormal, underdeveloped, undeveloped), ostýchavý (bashful, coy, demure, diffident, prim, self conscious, shamefaced, shy), opoždìný (behindhand, belated, delayed, late, tardy), nerozvinutý. (various references)

Danish

backward interworking telephony event (backward interworking telephony event, BITE), baglænskædning (backward chaining, goal directed execution), baglænsning (backtracking, depth-first backward reasoning), bagudkædning (backchaining, backward chaining, backward reasoning, goal directed reasoning, goal-directed searching, reasoning backward), bagudræsonneren (backchaining, backward chaining, backward reasoning, goal directed reasoning, goal-directed searching, reasoning backward), backtracking (backtracking, depth-first backward reasoning), retrograd erosion (backward erosion, head erosion, headward erosion, headwater erosion, retrogressive erosion), erosion i et vandloebs oevre del (backward erosion, head erosion, headward erosion, headwater erosion, regressive erosion, retrogressive erosion, undercutting), hoejresvejsning (backhand welding, backward welding, rightward welding), modsvejsning (backhand welding, backward welding, rightward welding), zoome ud (backward zoom, upward zoom), tilbagegående erosion (backward erosion, head erosion, headward erosion, headwater erosion, regressive erosion, retrogressive erosion, undercutting), tilbagegående indikatorbit (backward indicator bit), tilbagegående kædning (backward chaining, goal directed execution), tilbagegående sekvensnummer (backward sequence number), tilbagehop af peger (back move of the pointer, backward move of the pointer), tilbagehop af pointer (back move of the pointer, backward move of the pointer), tilbagesigte (backsight(USA), backward sight, plus sight), mentalt retarderet (mentally backward). (various references)

Dutch

achterover (aback, back, backwards, on one's back). (various references)

Esperanto

retroira (retrograde), mense postrestanta (mentally deficient, retarded), dorsen (on one's back). (various references)

Faeroese

aftur (aback, afresh, again, all over again, anew, back, backwards, once more, re-). (various references)

Farsi 

کودن (Birdbrain, Cockeyed, Crass, Doddering, Dull, Dunce, Lug, Sappy, Slight, Slow, Unapt, Unintelligent), وارونه (Converse, Inverse, Opposite, Reverse, Upsidedown), عقب مانده (Behind, Laggard), عقب افتاده (Retard, Slothful, Underdeveloped), ازپشت , به پشت . (various references)

Finnish

takaperoinen (absurd, perverted, wrong), takaperin, takapajuinen (underdeveloped), takapaju (underdeveloped), taaksepäin (back), jälkeenjäänyt (surviving). (various references)

French

retardé, rétrograde (backward-looking), peu disposé, peu avancé, lent, hésitant, dirigeant en arrière, arriéré (back, backlock, backlog), affichage précédent. (various references)

Frisian

tebek (aback, backwards), efteroer (aback, back, backwards, on one's back), efterlik (mentally deficient, retarded). (various references)

German

zurück (aback, afresh, again, back, backwards, behind, once more, re-, replaces, returned, returns), zurückgeblieben (retarded, straggling), rückwärts (aback, afterwards, at the back, backlink, backwards, behind, rearwards, regress). (various references)

Greek 

καθυστερημένος (tardy), πέσω, υποανάπτυκτοσ (undeveloped), οπισθοδρομικόσ (regressive, retrograde, unprogressive). (various references)

Hebrew 

לאחור (astern, be late, behind, dally, overstay, rearwards, remain behind, reverse), אחורי (back, hind, posterior, rear, ulterior), אחורני (hind, rearmost, retrospective), אחור (back, backside, behind, buttock, posterior, rear, rump, stern), נמוש (weakling), נחשל (borderline, primitive, retrograde, underdeveloped), נסוג (regressive, retreating, retrograde). (various references)

Hungarian

visszamaradt (arrested, remainder, residual, retarded), hátrafelé irányuló (retrograde), fejletlen (immature, inchoate, underdeveloped, undeveloped). (various references)

Icelandic

aftur á bak (aback, backwards). (various references)

Indonesian

terbelakang (last, latest, retarded, under-developed), ke belakang. (various references)

Irish

siar (backwards), ar gcúl (backwards). (various references)

Italian

indietro (aback, back, backwards, behind, fro), a rovescio (aback, back, backwards, on one's back), supino (aback, back, backwards, on one's back, supine), deficiente (deficient, feeble minded, insufficient, mentally, mentally deficient, mentally deficient person, moron, retarded, stupid). (various references)

Japanese Kanji 

未開発 (undeveloped, unentered), 後進 (developing, one's junior). (various references)

Japanese Katakana 

こうしん (57th of the sexagenary cycle, accelerated, acceleration, constancy, correspondence, developing, exasperated, exasperation, favorite courtier, filial devotion, innovation, labia, lips, march, meritorious retainer, one's junior, parade, red lips, renewal, renovation, rise, rising, spiritism, spiritualism, steadiness, telecommunications, update), みかいはつ (undeveloped, unentered). (various references)

Korean 

뒤에 (Aft, after, Backwards, Behind). (various references)

Manx

moal (belated, decrepit, deliberate, deplorable, dim, disappointing, dull, enfeebled, feeble, flimsy, gradual, ill, laggard, late, late of fruit, listless, meagre, overdue, pithless, poor, poorly, scraggy, slack, slow, sorry, tardy, tawdry, unimpressive, weak, weak as faith, wretched, wretched of thing), jei-cheeayllagh (retarded). (various references)

Norwegian

tilbake (aback, back, backwards). (various references)

Pig Latin

ackwardbay.(various references)

Portuguese

para trás (aback, astern, back, backwards). (various references)

Romanian

sfios (bashful, coy, demure, faint-hearted, maiden, maidenlike, maidenly, meek, milky, mousy, retiring, self conscious, sheepish, shy, timid, timorous), ruginit (rusty), retrograd (retrograde, retrogressive), redus (dense, low, obtuse, reduced, scanty, small, stupid), pe spate (backwards), invers (about, backwards, by contraries, contrarily, contrariwise, converse, conversely, counter, inverse, inversely, opposed, opposite, reciprocally, reverse, topsy turvy, vice versa), depãşit (out of date, out of proportion, outdated, overfulfilled), codaş (slacker), şovãielnic (hesitating, irresolute, undecided, wavering), arierat (half wit, half-witted, moron), întârziat (back, be late, behind time, behindhand, belated, benighted, lagging, late, outstanding, overdue, slow witted, tardy), îndãrãt (back, backwards, behind), înapoiat (back, behindhand), înapoi (aback, astern, back, backwards), în urmã (aback, abaft, after, ago, back, backwards, behind, behindhand, in arrear of, slow). (various references)

Russian 

отсталый (behind the times, stick in the mud), обратный (converse, counter, inverted, regressive, retroactive, retrograde, return, reverse, reversionary), назад отсталый, назад (aback, astern, back, backwards, rearward, rearwards). (various references)

Serbo-Croatian

zaostao (backwater, behindhand, benighted, dilatory, retarded, stagnant), u nazad, pasivan (passive), obrnut unazad, nazadan (hunker, reactionary, regressive, retrogressive), natrag (back, backwards, behind), natraške (backwards). (various references)

Spanish

hacia atrás (aback, backwards, rearward, rearwards), atrasado (back, backwardly, behindhand, belated, late, mentally deficient, outstanding, overdue, retarded, slow, under developed), de espaldas (aback, back, back to back, backwards, on one's back). (various references)

Swedish

bakåt (aback, back, backwards, in reverse, kungsljus), efterbliven (defective, mentally deficient, old fashioned). (various references)

Tagalog

pauróng (aback, backwards). (various references)

Turkish

geri geri (backwards), çekingen (bashful, coy, demure, diffident, distrustful of oneself, eunuch, faint, fainthearted, farouche, mousy, reserved, retiring, shrinking, shy, standoffish, timid, timorous, uncommunicative, unsociable, unsocial, withdrawn), geç (behind, late, slow, tardy), geç kavrayan, geçmişe (back, backwards, retro-), gelişmemiş (embryonic, immature, inchoate, puny, underdeveloped, undeveloped, unimproved), çağdışı (out of date, outworn, time-expired), geri (aback, back, backwards, behind, hind, posterior, re-, rear, rearward, rest, retro-, reverse, reversing, slow), yavaş öğrenen, geri kalmış (slow, underdeveloped), geriye (aback, astern, back, backwards, behind, re-, retro-), geriye doğru (backwards, downward, rearward, rearwards, retro-), isteksiz (averse, disinclined, grudging, gutless, halfhearted, indisposed, jaded, languid, loath, loth, reluctant, repugnant, sticky, undesirous, undisposed, unwilling, wet), ters (acrimonious, adverse, agley, Amiss, awkward, awry, backwards, bad tempered, bloody minded, churlish, contradictory, contrary, converse, counter, crabbed, cranky, curt, cussed, dour, face down, fractious, fretful, Froward, frowning, grumpy, ill natured, illegitimate, indecorous, inimical, inverse, inversely, inverted, mis-, negative, off, opposing, opposite, perverse, retro-, reverse, snuffy, sub-, unfavorable, unfavourable, upside down, versed, wayward, wrong, wrongly), tersine (against the grain, athwart, backwards, contrarily, contrariwise, conversely, crisscross, inversely, over, per contra, retro-), geríye doğru (aback, backwards). (various references)

Turkmen 

gaяralmak (move backward, worsen). (various references)

Ukrainian

у зворотному напрямі (about, backwards, inversely), відсталий (back, behindhand, benighted, retarded, stick in the mud, straggling, straggly, upstage), несміливий, нерішучий (double-minded, faltering, half hearted, hesitant, indecisive, irresolute, pendulous, shilly shally, sticky, suspensive, undecided, undetermined, unready, unresolved, unsteadfast, vacillating, vague, wavery, weak), неохочий (involuntary, loath, loth), навпаки (au contraire, backwards, contra, contrariwise, conversely, in reverse, on the contrary, over against, topsy turvy, vice versa), назад (aback, astern, back, backwards, counter, hark back, keep back, rearward, rearwards), на гірше, минуле (bygone, foretime, history, past, yesteryear, yore), минулий (ancient, bygone, departed, erstwhile, former, gone, last, one time, overblown, overpast, past), зворотний (back, contrary, converse, counter, homeward, inverse, inverted, opposite, rearward, reflexive, regressive, relapsing, retrogressive, reverse, reversionary), забарний, задки (aback, rearward, rearwards), боязкий (bashful, coward, dastard, dastardly, diffident, eerie, eery, faint-hearted, fearful, heartless, nervous, ovine, pavid, poor spirited, shamefaced, sheepish, spiritless, timid, timorous), пізній (belated, late). (various references)

Vietnamese 

về phía sau, lạc hậu muộn, lùi ngược, giật lùi chậm tiến, chậm trễ ngần ngại. (various references)

Welsh

yn o+l (aback, according to, after, ago, behind), hwyrfrydig (reluctant, slow, tardy), digynnydd, araf (leisurely, slow). (various references)

aversus, rursum, rursumque, rursus, rursusque. (various references)

ni-. (various references)

ariere. (various references)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Derivations

Words beginning with "backward": backwardly, backwardness, backwardnesses, backwards. (additional references)

Misspellings

"Backward" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: ackward, auckward, Bakfark, Beckhard, buckwald, Gaekwad, gaekwar. (additional references)

Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

Direct Anagrams: drawback.

-3 letters: aback, award, kabar, wrack.

-4 letters: arak, back, bard, bark, bawd, brad, braw, carb, card, cark, crab, craw, darb, dark, dawk, drab, draw, kbar, rack, wack, ward, wark.

-5 letters: aba, arb, arc, ark, awa, baa, bad, bar, bra, cab, cad, car, caw, dab, dak, daw, kab, rad, raw, wab, wad, war.

+1 letter: backwards, drawbacks.

+2 letters: backwardly.

+4 letters: backwardness.