backward

adjective

1

a

: directed or turned toward the back

a backward glance

b

: done or executed backward

a backward somersault

2

: diffident, shy

I have been backward to begin my canvass.

—Edmund Burke

3

: less advanced in development or accomplishment than what is typical or expected

… said he felt the news media had given Jasper the image of a backward country town.

—Eli Rosenberg and Lindsey Bever

backwardly adverb

backwardness noun

Synonyms of backward

• reverse
• reversed
• hind
• retrograde
• rearward

Examples of backward in a Sentence

a technologically backward village that has no running water

a backward turn on ice skates is hard to learn because you can't see where you're going

Recent Examples on the Web

But even without Trump ordering up porticoes and colonnades, the architects would likely have looked backward to look forward. —Justin Davidson, Curbed, 8 June 2026

These ideas are not only backward but also reflect weakness. —Abigail R. Hall, Oc Register, 8 June 2026

The opposition’s narrative that Hollywood is usurping home rule is entirely backward. —Keith Poliakoff, Sun Sentinel, 1 June 2026

Michal Strahilevitz, a professor of marketing at Saint Mary's College of California who studies business ethics, thinks the whole compensation framework is backward. —Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 29 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing backward

• backward compatible
• backward-looking
• bend over backward
• fall over backward
• know something backward and forward
• lean over backward
• step backward/forward

Kids Definition

backward

1 of 2 adverb

back·​ward ˈbak-wərd 

variants or backwards

-wərdz 

1

: toward the back

look backward

2

: with the back first

ride backward

3

: opposite to the usual way : in reverse

count backward

4

: toward a worse state

backward

2 of 2 adjective

1

a

: directed or turned toward the back

a backward glance

b

: done backward

2

: shy entry 1 sense 1, bashful

3

: slow in learning or development

backward nations

backwardly adverb

backwardness noun