What is another word for backward?
Synonyms for backward
ˈbæk wərdback·ward
This thesaurus page includes all potential synonyms, words with the same meaning and similar terms for the word backward.
Wiktionary
backwardadjective
Synonyms:
backwardsbackwardadverb
Antonyms:
progressivebackwardadjective
Pertaining to the direction towards the back.
Synonyms:
backwardsbackwardadjective
Synonyms:
retrogradebackwardadjective
Synonyms:
third worldAntonyms:
forward
English Synonyms and Antonyms
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.
Synonyms:
averse, disinclined, indisposed, loath, opposed, reluctant, slow, unwillingAntonyms:
desirous, disposed, eager, favorable, inclined, willing
Princeton's WordNet
backwardadjective
directed or facing toward the back or rear
"a backward view"
Synonyms:
feebleminded, slow-witted, half-wittedAntonyms:
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, aheadbackwardadjective
(used of temperament or behavior) marked by a retiring nature
"a backward lover"
Synonyms:
feebleminded, slow-witted, half-wittedAntonyms:
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, forrardbackward, half-witted, slow-witted, feeblemindedadjective
retarded in intellectual development
Synonyms:
feebleminded, slow-witted, half-wittedAntonyms:
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, frontwardbackwardadverb
having made less than normal progress
"an economically backward country"
Synonyms:
feebleminded, slow-witted, half-wittedAntonyms:
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, forradback, 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"
Synonyms:
backwards, rearwards, back, rearwardAntonyms:
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, forrardbackward, 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"
Synonyms:
backwards, rearwards, back, rearwardAntonyms:
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, forwardsback, 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"
Synonyms:
backwards, rearwards, back, rearwardAntonyms:
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
Dictionary of English Synonymes
backwardadjective
Synonyms:
averse, unwilling, reluctant, loath, disinclined, indisposed, wavering, hesitatingbackwardadjective
backwardadjective
Synonyms:
late, tardy, behindhand, after the usual timebackwardadjective
Synonyms:
regressively, rearwards, aback, behind, ABAFT
Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated Words
backwardadjective
Synonyms:
retrograde, retrogressive, reverse, regressive, retrospective, reluctant, averse, loath, disinclined, unwilling, dull, inapt, late, tardy, delayed, undeveloped
PPDB, the paraphrase database
List of paraphrases for "backward":
backwardness, rearward, backwards, retrograde, back, underdeveloped, retrogressive, backward-looking, regressive, overdue, behind, rearwards, arrears, upstream, outdated, lagging, backlog, out-dated, backspace, aft
Words popularity by usage frequency
ranking | word | |
---|---|---|
#103 | back | |
#1531 | behind | |
#2901 | slow | |
#6114 | opposed | |
#10841 | upstream | |
#12026 | backward | |
#12662 | outdated | |
#12694 | backwards | |
#14720 | reluctant | |
#19481 | aft | |
#19538 | unwilling | |
#21061 | overdue | |
#23918 | arrears | |
#25419 | backlog | |
#36202 | lagging | |
#38684 | retrograde | |
#43252 | averse | |
#43914 | underdeveloped | |
#44872 | backspace | |
#54225 | regressive | |
#78508 | loath | |
#90539 | rearward | |
#96428 | backwardness | |
#119355 | disinclined | |
#173035 | indisposed | |
#226482 | retrogressive |
How to use backward in a sentence?
Mare Nostrum was an emergency solution to a humanitarian crisis, so closing it was a huge and intolerable step backward.
As I moved backward away from it, I grabbed its neck and I knew that I couldn't get away from it. If I ran, it would be faster than I would and would just tear me to pieces, you know, self-preservation kicks in, and I guess a primitive part of my brain just went into operation and that was it.
The retail sales that we are seeing today is backward. I would put less weight on backward-looking data and I would put more weight on management's discussion of guidance in the future, and that doesn't look good, investors are starting to build a mosaic of information suggesting that the consumer is not doing as well as you would expect.
I think Utah took a giant step backward.
There is no such thing as can't, only won't. If you're qualified, all it takes is a burning desire to accomplish, to make a change. Go forward, go backward. Whatever it takes But you can't blame other people or society in general. It all comes from your mind. When we do the impossible we realize we are special people.
Translations for backward
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- изостанал, назад, обратноBulgarian
- enrereCatalan, Valencian
- vzad, zpátky, dozaduCzech
- antiquiert, zurück, rückwärtsgewandt, zurückgeblieben, altmodisch, gehemmt, nach hinten, überholt, rückständig, unterentwickelt, rückwärts, zurückgewandt, zögerlichGerman
- οπισθοδρομικός, παλιομοδίτικος, πίσω, ανάποδος, υπανάπτυκτοςGreek
- atrasado, rezagado, retrógrado, anticuado, pasado de modaSpanish
- takapajuinen, saamaton, vanhanaikainen, takaperin, taaksepäin, alikehittynyt, syrjäänvetäytyvä, taantumuksellinen, takaperoinen, päinvastainen, peruuttaaFinnish
- en arrière, arriéré, sous-développéFrench
- mundur ke belakangIndonesian
- 後方, 後ろJapanese
- دواکهوتوKurdish
- whakamuriMāori
- achteruitDutch
- archaiczny, do tyłu, tył, przestarzały, z powrotemPolish
- atrasado, retrógradoPortuguese
- înapoi, către spate, spre-napoi, îndărăt, regresivRomanian
- назад, обратно, обратный, отсталый, заднийRussian
- bakom, bakåt, baklänges, bakåtsträvandeSwedish
- patalikodTagalog
- geriyeTurkish
- پسماندہUrdu
- 落後Chinese
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"backward." Synonyms.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2023. Web. 8 Dec. 2023. <https://www.synonyms.com/synonym/backward>.
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