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. Author Unknown:

   Too many people confine their exercise to jumping to conclusions, running up bills, stretching the truth, bending over backward, lying down on the job, sidestepping responsibility and pushing their luck.

2. Zak Farmer , 31:

   She has to think out the movement, decide where to place her foot, where to place her hand, she'll maybe fall backward and engages that core and sits back up.

3. Klay Thompson:

   About seven seconds on the clock he just kept going backward, I don’t know why, but he just threw it up and I didn’t think it had any chance of going in, that was kind of like a dagger shot. It just gave us all the momentum back.

4. Jim Reid:

   U.S./China trade newsflow seemed to take a backward step ahead of important talks this week and UK/EU Brexit talks not only unraveled but the relationship between the two sides seems to be in danger of breaking down completely, so the obvious cracks that have been appearing over more than four decades of globalization are in danger of widening significantly in the days and weeks ahead.

5. Clifford Hart:

   International anti-trafficking standards have evolved, standing still is slipping backward in the face of a growing global challenge.

How to pronounce backward?

How to say backward in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency