backward

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1. For the adverb, both forms are in use, although backward is somewhat more common in American English and backwards in British English:

Talk ran backward from the events of the morning—A. Munro, Canadian English 1987

I walked backward to look at her in the sun—E. L. Doctorow, American English 1989

Not knowing where he was, and trying to work his way backwards—R. Cobb, British English 1985.

In the fixed expressions bend (or lean) over backwards, backwards and forwards, and to know backwards, backward is only found occasionally outside American English:

He'll bend over backwards to please a client—M. Bail, Australian English 1975

An eclectic collector..., he knows the showrooms backwards.—Financial Times, 1983

The door kept swinging backwards and forwards—Anita Brookner, 1984

From the study above them...came the sound of footsteps moving backwards and forwards across the floor—R. Border, 1991

They move backward and forward between denial and anger and depression, unable to break out of the circle of despair—G. Carmichael, 1991.

2. For the adjective, the correct form in standard English is backward:

He watched her walking away without a backward glance.—R. Sutcliff, 1954

Getting involved with the blind in any way seemed like a backward step—Ved Mehta, 1987.

3. In addition to the directional meanings, backward has developed the sense 'slow to learn',' (applied to children). This is now often considered offensive and should be replaced by more neutral and considerate terms such as having learning difficulties, cumbersome though these tend to be.

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adjective

1. Directed or facing toward the back or rear: retrograde, retrogressive. See precede/follow.
2. Not forward but reticent or reserved in manner: bashful, coy, demure, diffident, modest, retiring, self-effacing, shy, timid. See restraint/unrestraint.
3. Exhibiting lack of education or knowledge: benighted, ignorant, primitive, unenlightened. See knowledge/ignorance.
4. Having only a limited ability to learn and understand: dull, simple, simple-minded, slow, slow-witted. Informal soft. Offensive feeble-minded, half-witted, retarded, weak-minded. See ability/inability.
5. Not progressing and developing as fast as others, as in economic and social aspects: lagging, underdeveloped, undeveloped. See precede/follow.
6. Economically and socially below standard: depressed, deprived, disadvantaged, impoverished, underprivileged. See rich/poor.
7. Clinging to obsolete ideas: conservative, reactionary, unprogressive. See politics.

adverb

1. Toward the back: about, around, back, backwards, rearward. See precede/follow.
2. In or toward a former location or condition: about, around, back, backwards, rearward, round. See approach/retreat.

In addition to the idiom beginning with backward, also see bend over backward; fall over (backwards); know like a book (backwards and forwards).

adj

Definition: bashful
Antonyms: aggressive, forward, precocious, unshy

adj

Definition: slow in growth
Antonyms: developing, fast, intelligent, smart

adj

Definition: toward the rear
Antonyms: ahead, forward, to the front

adv

Definition: toward the rear
Antonyms: forward

IN BRIEF: With the rear toward the front.

You can lean over backward so far that you fall flat on your face. — Ben H. Bagdikian

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A dream of moving backward may mean the dreamer feels he or she is losing ground in some endeavor. Retracing one's steps may indicate that information from the past may be needed to bring about an understanding of a current situation, especially one that has gone wrong.

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For a list of words related to backward, see:

• Stupid, Ignorant, or Confused
• Dimensions and Directions - backward: (adv) in reverse of normal direction; with back foremost; toward the rear

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Common misspelling(s) of backward

• ackward

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - bagvendt, bagud
adv. - bagvendt, bagud

idioms:

• backward looking    bagstræverisk

Nederlands (Dutch)
achter, achterlijk, achteruit, naar achteren, terughoudend, terug, saai

Français (French)
adj. - en arrière, (fig) rétrograde, arriéré, peu avancé, (Méd) retardé, lent, peu disposé (à faire), hésitant
adv. - en arrière, à la renverse, à contre-courant, à reculons, à rebours, à l'envers, en commençant par la fin, comme sa poche, (fig) en arrière, vers le passé, (fig) de travers, en rétrogradant

idioms:

• backward looking    être rétrograde

Deutsch (German)
adj. - zurückgeblieben, rückständig, rückwärts gerichtet
adv. - falsch herum, rückwärts, hintenüber

idioms:

• backward looking    überholt

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - οπίσθιος, προς τα πίσω, καθυστερημένος, προς το χειρότερο, οπισθοδρομικός, υπανάπτυκτος, ανάδρομος
adv. - προς τα πίσω, προς το χειρότερο

idioms:

• backward looking    οπισθοδρομικός, αναχρονιστικός, αντιδραστικός

Italiano (Italian)
arretrato, ritardato mentale, alla rovescia, all'indietro, indietro

idioms:

• backward looking    antiquato, nostalgico

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - oposto, tímido, atrasado
adv. - para trás, inadvertidamente, retrogradamente, às avessas

idioms:

• backward looking    retrógrado

Русский (Russian)
недоразвитый, отсталый, задом наперед, назад

idioms:

• backward looking    ретроград

Español (Spanish)
adj. - atrasado, subdesarrollado, retrasado, retardado, al revés, con lo de atrás adelante, hacia atrás, de espaldas, dirigido hacia atrás
adv. - al revés, con lo de atrás adelante, hacia atrás

idioms:

• backward looking    de apariencia rara, retardado

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - bakåtriktad, bakåtvänd, försagd, efterbliven
adv. - bakåt, baklänges, tillbaka

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
向后的, 返回的, 反向的, 怕羞的, 畏缩的, 落后的, 发展迟缓的, 犹豫的, 向后地, 追溯, 相反地

idioms:

• backward looking    退缩的, 保守的, 回顾过去的

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 向後的, 返回的, 反向的, 怕羞的, 畏縮的, 落後的, 發展遲緩的, 猶豫的
adv. - 向後地, 追溯, 相反地

idioms:

• backward looking    退縮的, 保守的, 回顧過去的

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 뒤쪽의, 진보가 늦은, 싫어하는
adv. - 뒤쪽에, 거꾸로

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 後方の, 逆の, 遅れた, 時期遅れの, しりごみする
n. - 後方, 過去
adv. - 後方に, 逆行して

idioms:

• backward looking    回顧的な

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) متخلف (ظرف) باتجاه الخلف‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮פונה לאחור, מפגר, מהסס, ביישן, לא מתקדם‬
adv. - ‮פונה לאחור‬

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