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.

Wiktionary0.0 / 0 votes

  1. backwardadjective

    Synonyms:
    backwards

    Antonyms:
    forwards, forward

  2. backwardadverb

    Antonyms:
    progressive

  3. backwardadjective

    Pertaining to the direction towards the back.

    Synonyms:
    backwards

    Antonyms:
    forward, forwards

  4. backwardadjective

    Synonyms:
    retrograde

  5. backwardadjective

    Synonyms:
    third world

    Antonyms:
    forward

English Synonyms and Antonyms0.0 / 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.

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

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

Princeton's WordNet0.0 / 0 votes

  1. backwardadjective

    directed or facing toward the back or rear

    "a backward view"

    Synonyms:
    feebleminded, slow-witted, half-witted

    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

  2. backwardadjective

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

    "a backward lover"

    Synonyms:
    feebleminded, slow-witted, half-witted

    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

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

    retarded in intellectual development

    Synonyms:
    feebleminded, slow-witted, half-witted

    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

  4. backwardadverb

    having made less than normal progress

    "an economically backward country"

    Synonyms:
    feebleminded, slow-witted, half-witted

    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

  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"

    Synonyms:
    backwards, rearwards, back, rearward

    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

  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"

    Synonyms:
    backwards, rearwards, back, rearward

    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

  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"

    Synonyms:
    backwards, rearwards, back, rearward

    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

Dictionary of English Synonymes0.0 / 0 votes

  1. backwardadjective

    Synonyms:
    averse, unwilling, reluctant, loath, disinclined, indisposed, wavering, hesitating

  2. backwardadjective

    Synonyms:
    dull, sluggish, slow, stupid, stolid

  3. backwardadjective

    Synonyms:
    late, tardy, behindhand, after the usual time

  4. backwardadjective

    Synonyms:
    regressively, rearwards, aback, behind, ABAFT

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated Words0.0 / 0 votes

  1. backwardadjective

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

How to pronounce backward?

How to say backward in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

rankingword
#103back
#1531behind
#2901slow
#6114opposed
#10841upstream
#12026backward
#12662outdated
#12694backwards
#14720reluctant
#19481aft
#19538unwilling
#21061overdue
#23918arrears
#25419backlog
#36202lagging
#38684retrograde
#43252averse
#43914underdeveloped
#44872backspace
#54225regressive
#78508loath
#90539rearward
#96428backwardness
#119355disinclined
#173035indisposed
#226482retrogressive

How to use backward in a sentence?

  1. Bob Reish:

    Challenges can either knock us backward, or be used as a step toward our goals. We choose the direction!

  2. Angelo Cardani:

    Should the incumbent (TIM) control the new entity it would not just be a big U-turn but also a backward step.

  3. Chinese President Xi Jinping:

    China will not go backward in this process.

  4. Google Translate:

    In the smoke haze, the most abundant particles are around onemicrometre in size, but these particles do not change the colour of the light we see, there are also smaller particles, around 0.05 micrometres or less, that dont make up a lot of the haze but are still somewhat more abundant during a haze period [than a normal non-haze period]... but this is enough to give an extra tendency to scatter red light more in the forward and backward directions than blue light - and that is why would you see more red than blue.

  5. Patricia Russell-McCloud:

    Life is an escalator: You can move forward or backward; you can not remain still.


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, 2024. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://www.synonyms.com/synonym/backward>.

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    Which of these is a synonym of sangfroid?
    A imperturbability
    B remonstrate
    C jaded
    D scurrilous

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