Pronunciation: /ˈbæk.wərd/

Definitions of backward

noun a backward movement or direction

Example Sentences

A1 I tripped and fell backward.

A2 She prefers to walk backward when dancing.

B1 The car suddenly went backward down the hill.

B2 He always reads books backward, starting from the end.

C1 The scientist studied the backward movement of the planets.

C2 The artist's painting was a complex representation of time moving backward.

adjective directed or moving toward the back

Example Sentences

A1 She walked backward to avoid stepping on the cracks in the sidewalk.

A2 The car started moving backward down the hill.

B1 The team had to take a backward approach to solve the problem.

B2 The company's profits took a backward turn last quarter.

C1 The new policy was seen as a backward step by many employees.

C2 The country's economy was moving backward due to political instability.

adverb toward the back or rear

Example Sentences

A1 She walked backward down the stairs.

A2 The car slowly moved backward out of the parking space.

B1 He read the instructions backward and got confused.

B2 The team had to rethink their strategy and take a step backward.

C1 The company's decision to move backward in technology proved to be a costly mistake.

C2 The artist's work was praised for its innovative use of backward thinking.

Examples of backward in a Sentence

formal The research project took a backward approach in analyzing the data.

informal She always walks backward when she's in a hurry.

slang Don't be so backward, just give it a try!

figurative He seems to be moving backward in his career progression.

Grammatical Forms of backward

past tense

backwarded

plural

backwards

comparative

more backward

superlative

most backward

present tense

backward

future tense

will backward

perfect tense

have backwarded

continuous tense

is backwarding

singular

backward

positive degree

backward

infinitive

to backward

gerund

backwaring

participle

backwarded

Origin and Evolution of backward

First Known Use: 1250 year
Language of Origin: Old English
Story behind the word: The word 'backward' originated from the Old English word 'bæcweard' which was a combination of 'bæc' meaning 'back' and 'weard' meaning 'toward'.
Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'backward' has evolved to not only describe a direction opposite to forward but also to indicate a lack of progress, development, or intelligence in a person or situation.