Synonyms of backward

backward 1 of 2

adverb

ˈbak-wərd 

variants or backwards

1

as in back

toward the rear

looking backward, we could see the town receding in the distance

Synonyms & Similar Words

• back
• rearward
• astern
• reversely
• counterclockwise
• widdershins
• anticlockwise
• retrograde
• left-handed
• sternforemost
• left-handedly

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• forward
• forth
• ahead
• along
• on
• forwards
• before
• onward

2

as in around

toward the opposite direction

the loud noise prompted him to glance backward to see what was happening

Synonyms & Similar Words

• around
• back
• down
• round
• downward
• about
• behind
• rearward
• reversely
• across
• counterclockwise
• counter
• athwart
• widdershins
• obversely

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• clockwise
• deasil

backward

2 of 2

adjective

1

as in reverse

directed, turned, or done toward the back

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• reverse
• reversed
• hind
• retrograde
• rearward
• rear
• posterior
• aft
• after
• astern
• sternforemost

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• forward

2

as in withdrawn

not comfortable around people

curiously, the quiet, backward man opened up when around other introverts

Synonyms & Similar Words

• withdrawn
• shy
• lone
• diffident
• sheepish
• bashful
• modest
• retiring
• recessive
• coy
• introverted
• awkward
• demure
• embarrassed
• self-effacing
• reserved
• antisocial
• unsociable
• unsocial
• uneasy
• unenterprising
• lone-wolf
• unassertive
• unadventurous
• inhibited
• uptight
• self-conscious

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• outgoing
• social
• immodest
• extroverted
• gregarious
• convivial
• forward
• companionable
• sociable
• boon
• forceful
• bold
• dashing
• uninhibited
• clubbable
• unreserved
• brash
• overbold

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of backward

Adverb

My family loved to spin yarns and tell stories, whether at the dinner table or on long drives in the station wagon and the backward-facing trundle seat. — Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026

Everything was at stake for the Los Angeles Lakers, but as free agency started Monday, the organization seemed stuck in neutral — if not moving backward in reverse. — Dan Woike, New York Times, 2 July 2026

Adjective

But that works against backward compatibility, so the hope would be at least an optional disc drive will still be sold. — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

This generation of Bosnian footballers—Džeko, Lukić, Dedić, Vasilj, and many others—has inherited the memory of war without inheriting its backward logic. — Arminka Helic, Time, 30 June 2026