froward

adjective

fro·​ward ˈfrō-(w)ərd How to pronounce froward (audio)
1
: habitually disposed to disobedience and opposition
2
archaic : adverse
frowardly adverb
frowardness noun

Did you know?

Once upon a time, in the days of Middle English, froward and toward were opposites. Froward meant "moving or facing away from something or someone;" toward meant "moving or facing in the direction of something or someone." (The suffix -ward is from Old English -weard, meaning "moving, tending, facing.") Froward also meant "difficult to deal with, perverse"; toward meant "willing, compliant, obliging." Each went its own way in the end: froward lost its "away from" sense as long ago as the 16th century and the "willing" sense of toward disappeared in the 18th century. A third relative, untoward, developed in the 15th century as a synonym for froward in its "unruly or intractable" sense, and later developed other meanings, including "improper or indecorous."

Examples of froward in a Sentence

their froward pranks are not appropriate in the workplace froward students sent to the office for chronic disciplinary problems

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, turned away, froward, from fro from + -ward -ward

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of froward was in the 13th century

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Dictionary Entries Near froward

Cite this Entry

“Froward.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/froward. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

froward

adjective
fro·​ward ˈfrō-(w)ərd How to pronounce froward (audio)
: likely to disobey and oppose : willful
frowardly adverb
frowardness noun
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