backward

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: B2 — Upper-Intermediate

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

From Middle English bakwarde, abakward, equivalent to back (adverb) + -ward. Cognate with Old Frisian bekward (“backward”).

Ringg took a step backward. — The Colors of Space, Marion Zimmer Bradley
In which the history goes backward. — History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, Henry Fielding
The hands spun backward upon the dials. — The Time Machine, H. G. (Herbert George) Wells

Type a word, a sentence, a book title, or a link to an English article. WordNet and the Classics answer.

Try

A library of classics · a vault of words · instant etymology & meaning