backyard

1 of 2

noun

back·​yard ˈbak-ˈyärd 

1

: an area at the rear of a house

2

: a nearby area : neighborhood

crimes committed in our own backyard

backyard

2 of 2

adjective

: located or occurring in a backyard

a backyard barbecue

also : lacking professional training : amateur

a backyard breeder

Synonyms

Noun

• environs
• neighborhood
• purlieus
• vicinage
• vicinity

Adjective

• amateur
• avocational
• jackleg
• nonprofessional
• Sunday

Examples of backyard in a Sentence

Noun

We spent the evening relaxing in the backyard.

shocked to learn that the wind farm would be right in our own backyard

Adjective

an orchid that is a favorite with backyard horticulturists

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The backyard also features Italian villa-style gardens at every turn. —Emma Reynolds, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025

Hot dogs and hamburgers accompany sides of macaroni and cheese, potato salad and watermelon slices in ecstatic union in backyards and front porches across the country. —Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 25 June 2025

Adjective

On December 18, the CDC announced that the first severe H5N1 case in a human had been detected, which is thought to have been caught after exposure to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025

Staff Pick: The mad scramble for backyard eggs Naeema Fineley's backyard chicken coop in Georgia. —Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 13 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1618, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1719, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for backyard

• asgard
• barnyard
• blackguard
• bombard
• brickyard
• canard
• churchyard
• coastguard
• courtyard
• debarred
• diehard
• disbarred

Kids Definition

backyard

noun

back·​yard

-ˈyärd

1

: an area in back of a house

2

: an area in which one has a special interest