Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • See backward.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Oriented toward the back.
  • adjective Reversed.
  • adjective derogatory Behind current trends or technology.
  • adjective Clumsy, inept, or inefficient.
  • adverb Toward the back.
  • adverb In the opposite direction of usual.
  • adverb In a manner such that the back precedes the front.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adverb at or to or toward the back or rear
  • adverb in a manner or order or direction the reverse of normal

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

backward +‎ -s. See -s (Etymology 3)

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word backwards.

Examples

  • He is to skip three times while repeating thrice the following sentence, and after repeating three times forwards and backwards: thus (_forwards_) -- 'Fear and dread shall fall upon them by the greatness of thine arm; they shall be as still as a stone'; thus (_backwards_) -- 'Still as a stone may they be; by the greatness of thine arm may fear and dread fall on them'; he then is to say to his neighbour three times, 'Peace be unto you,' and the neighbour is to respond three times, 'Unto you be peace.'

    Moon Lore Timothy Harley

  • '' We are definitely going in backwards from the way we wanted to, '' said Romo, who was 23-of-32 for 321 yards with two touchdowns.

    USATODAY.com - Football - Detroit vs. Dallas 2006

  • Amabo Kcarab!!! you say his name backwards and it opens a portal which sucks american jobs into oblivion

    msnbc.com: Top msnbc.com headlines 2012

  • Spirits in the Material World - The Police if you read the title backwards it says eciloP ehT - dlroW lairetaM eht ni stiripS

    WN.com - Articles related to Traditional plastics shelved in bio-product industry 2010

  • Spirits in the Material World - The Police if you read the title backwards it says eciloP ehT - dlroW lairetaM eht ni stiripS

    WN.com - Articles related to Traditional plastics shelved in bio-product industry 2010

  • The word backwards is also mirror-imaged, which typepad wouldn't let me do, but it all adds to the allure of the book, as does the lime gree ribbon bookmark, and offers plenty to talk about with children.

    Pippi Longstocking 2007

  • The word backwards is also mirror-imaged, which typepad wouldn't let me do, but it all adds to the allure of the book, as does the lime gree ribbon bookmark, and offers plenty to talk about with children.

    40 entries from September 2007 2007

  • The word backwards is also mirror-imaged, which typepad wouldn't let me do, but it all adds to the allure of the book, as does the lime gree ribbon bookmark, and offers plenty to talk about with children.

    Pippi Longstocking 2007

  • Yep, my last name backwards is so horrible I won't even tell you what it is.

    Trebor Nosnibor 2006

  • Zemeks -- young, proud, not real-life worldly yet; that's ok, young Grasshopper -- you need to live a few more years on earth before you can engage me with your "real world" observations and advice; your name backwards is Skemez -- "schemes?" how you made it through school and interviews? it figures;

    Sound Politics: Anti-War Progressives For McGavick? 2006

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.