Antonyms for backward
ˈbæk wərdback·ward

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. backwardadjective

   Antonyms:
   forwards, forward

   Synonyms:
   backwards

2. backwardadverb

   Antonyms:
   progressive

3. backwardadjective

   Pertaining to the direction towards the back.

   Antonyms:
   forward, forwards

   Synonyms:
   backwards

4. backwardadjective

   Synonyms:
   retrograde

5. backwardadjective

   Synonyms:
   third world

   Antonyms:
   forward

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. backward

   Reluctant (Latin re, back, and lucto, strive, struggle) signifies struggling against what one is urged or impelled to do, or is actually doing; averse (Latin a, from, and verto, turn) signifies turned away as with dislike or repugnance; loath (Anglo-Saxon lath, evil, hateful) signifies having a repugnance, disgust, or loathing for, tho the adjective loath is not so strong as the verb loathe. A dunce is always averse to study; a good student is disinclined to it when a fine morning tempts him out; he is indisposed to it in some hour of weariness. A man may be slow or backward in entering upon that to which he is by no means averse. A man is loath to believe evil of his friend, reluctant to speak of it, absolutely unwilling to use it to his injury. A legislator may be opposed to a certain measure, while not averse to what it aims to accomplish. Compare ANTIPATHY.

   Antonyms:
   desirous, disposed, eager, favorable, inclined, willing

   Synonyms:
   averse, disinclined, indisposed, loath, opposed, reluctant, slow, unwilling

Princeton's WordNetRate these antonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. backwardadjective

   directed or facing toward the back or rear

   "a backward view"

   Antonyms:
   sassy, headlong, guardant(ip), nervy, smart, presumptuous, gardant(ip), cheeky, saucy, forward, full-face, self-assertive, brash, precocious, impertinent, wise, assumptive, fresh, headfirst, overbold, bumptious, overfamiliar, dynamical, dynamic, impudent, assuming, forrad, forrard, forwards, frontwards, frontward, ahead

   Synonyms:
   feebleminded, slow-witted, half-witted

2. backwardadjective

   (used of temperament or behavior) marked by a retiring nature

   "a backward lover"

   Antonyms:
   self-assertive, forward, gardant(ip), headlong, assuming, bumptious, overfamiliar, impudent, wise, brash, presumptuous, dynamical, fresh, assumptive, headfirst, impertinent, precocious, smart, nervy, saucy, full-face, sassy, guardant(ip), dynamic, overbold, cheeky, ahead, forwards, frontward, frontwards, forrad, forrard

   Synonyms:
   feebleminded, slow-witted, half-witted

3. backward, half-witted, slow-witted, feeblemindedadjective

   retarded in intellectual development

   Antonyms:
   overfamiliar, wise, headfirst, nervy, sassy, guardant(ip), brash, gardant(ip), forward, fresh, cheeky, presumptuous, smart, dynamic, headlong, assumptive, full-face, impudent, self-assertive, precocious, dynamical, bumptious, saucy, impertinent, overbold, assuming, forrad, frontwards, forwards, forrard, ahead, frontward

   Synonyms:
   feebleminded, slow-witted, half-witted

4. backwardadverb

   having made less than normal progress

   "an economically backward country"

   Antonyms:
   smart, assumptive, gardant(ip), overfamiliar, brash, guardant(ip), saucy, cheeky, assuming, overbold, dynamic, fresh, impudent, presumptuous, impertinent, sassy, headlong, bumptious, self-assertive, wise, precocious, dynamical, headfirst, full-face, forward, nervy, forrard, frontward, ahead, forwards, frontwards, forrad

   Synonyms:
   feebleminded, slow-witted, half-witted

5. back, backward, backwards, rearward, rearwardsadverb

   at or to or toward the back or rear

   "he moved back"; "tripped when he stepped backward"; "she looked rearward out the window of the car"

   Antonyms:
   assuming, gardant(ip), full-face, nervy, forward, headfirst, precocious, dynamical, overbold, overfamiliar, dynamic, brash, wise, guardant(ip), self-assertive, bumptious, saucy, sassy, smart, fresh, assumptive, impudent, presumptuous, impertinent, cheeky, headlong, frontwards, forwards, forrad, ahead, frontward, forrard

   Synonyms:
   backwards, rearwards, back, rearward

6. backward, backwardsadverb

   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"

   Antonyms:
   forward, headlong, presumptuous, impudent, overfamiliar, impertinent, smart, sassy, assumptive, gardant(ip), wise, nervy, overbold, cheeky, full-face, dynamical, precocious, saucy, self-assertive, fresh, headfirst, dynamic, guardant(ip), brash, bumptious, assuming, frontward, forrad, forrard, ahead, frontwards, forwards

   Synonyms:
   backwards, rearwards, back, rearward

7. back, backwardadverb

   in or to or toward a past time

   "set the clocks back an hour"; "never look back"; "lovers of the past looking fondly backward"

   Antonyms:
   gardant(ip), fresh, assuming, dynamical, impertinent, headlong, dynamic, saucy, forward, bumptious, assumptive, overbold, impudent, self-assertive, smart, overfamiliar, presumptuous, cheeky, wise, sassy, full-face, headfirst, nervy, guardant(ip), brash, precocious, frontward, frontwards, forrard, ahead, forwards, forrad

   Synonyms:
   backwards, rearwards, back, rearward

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. backwardadjective

   Synonyms:
   retrograde, retrogressive, reverse, regressive, retrospective, reluctant, averse, loath, disinclined, unwilling, dull, inapt, late, tardy, delayed, undeveloped

Editors ContributionRate these antonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. toward

   direct behind or to the rear

   i walk backward silly

   Submitted by anonymous on October 7, 2019  

How to use backward in a sentence?

1. Kurt Arnold:

   We're going to show that Tote knew the El Faro was a defective ship that they knowingly sent into the path of a hurricane. We'll be fighting to expose the Limited Liability act of 1851 as the backward and arcane law that it is.

2. Brian Driscoll:

   She was happy to bend over backward to continue to work and do all these things with her chin up. She knew her role and she did it with this certain pride, i thought it was really beautiful to be able to document that.

3. Robert De Niro:

   I am talking about my own country, the United States of America. We don’t like to say we are a ‘backward’ country so let’s just say we are suffering from a case of temporary insanity.

4. Paris Xie:

   In the past decade... the capacity of coal-fired power plants that we've shut down is more than the nationwide capacity of Great Britain, as we close those backward and inefficient power plants, we have replaced them with more efficient, cleaner power plants -- and our total carbon emissions won't go up much.

5. Clarissa Pavao:

   When we look at these objects, we’re looking backward through time, we get to know more about the origins of the universe, which will tell us where our solar system is headed. As humans, we started out with the same elements as these stars.

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