Word Explorer

Backwards

/ˈbæk.wə(ɹ)dz/

Oriented toward the back.

📖 Definitions of "Backwards"

adjective

1
Oriented toward the back.
"The battleship had three backwards guns at the stern, in addition to the primary complement."
2
Reversed.
"The backwards lettering on emergency vehicles makes it possible to read in the rear-view mirror."
3
Behind current trends or technology.
"Modern medicine regards the use of leeches as a backwards practice."
4
Clumsy, inept, or inefficient, especially in learning.
"He was a very backwards scholar, but he was a marvel on the football field."

4 synonyms found via WordNet and Google Books.

Word	Definition
backnoun	At or near the rear.
backwardnoun	Indicating position or direction.
rearwardnoun	Toward the back or rear of something.
rearwards	Rearward.

Words with the opposite meaning.

Word	Definition
forwardverb	(not comparable) Situated toward or at the front of something.
forrard	(dialectal, chiefly nautical) Forward.
frontwards	Towards the front.
forwards	Synonym of forward in most senses.
frontward	Frontwards.
forradnoun	(representing dialect or variant pronunciation) Forehead.

Found via reverse dictionary — words that share a conceptual meaning.

Word	Definition
rearwardnoun	Toward the back or rear of something.
backnoun	At or near the rear.
rearwards	Rearward.
fronoun	(archaic on its own) From; away; back or backward.
behindnoun	At or in the rear or back part of something.
conversely	(conjunctive, loosely) From another point of view; on the other hand.
reversenoun	Opposite, contrary; going in the opposite direction.
retrogradenoun	Directed or moving backwards in relation to the normal or previous direction of travel; retreating.
inversenoun	Opposite in effect, nature or order.
reversedverb	Turned or changed to the contrary; inside out.
regressive	That tends to return, revert or regress.
forthnoun	(formal, archaic) Out into view; from a particular place or position.
sideways	Moving or directed toward one side.
awayverb	From a place, hence.
upsidenoun	The highest or uppermost side or portion of something.
downverb	(comparable) From a higher position to a lower one; downwards.
retrospectively	In a retrospective manner.
retroactively	Done after the fact; applying to events that have previously transpired.
agonoun	(archaic or dialectal) Gone; gone by; gone away; passed; passed away.
pastnoun	The period of time that has already happened, in contrast to the present and the future.