noun
definition
The state behind or past.
adjective
definition
(of motion) In the direction towards the back.
example
They left without a backward glance.
definition
(of motion) In the direction reverse of normal.
example
The occasional backward movement of planets is evidence they revolve around the sun.
synonyms
definition
Reluctant or unable to advance.
definition
Of a culture: undeveloped or unsophisticated.
synonyms
definition
Outdated.
synonyms
definition
On that part of the field behind the batsman's popping crease.
definition
Further behind the batsman's popping crease than something else.
definition
Unwilling; averse; reluctant.
definition
Slow to apprehend; having difficulties in learning.
example
a backward child
definition
Late or behindhand.
example
a backward season
synonyms
definition
Already past or gone; bygone.
synonyms
adverb
definition
(of motion) In the direction towards the back; backwards
example
to throw the arms backward
definition
Toward, or in, past time or events; ago.
definition
By way of reflection; reflexively.
definition
From a better to a worse state, as from honor to shame, from religion to sin.
Examples of backward in a Sentence
She took a step backward and stared mutely up at his face.
She took a step backward and met his gaze angrily.
He turned and strode to the house, entering without a backward glance.
Maybe that backward upbringing was the reason she wanted him to be the decision maker.
From the top of a dune they paused for a backward glance.
Vezhdovsky's figures of Rhynchelmis agree with those of Bergh in showing the backward growth of the nephridium from the funnel cell.
All of them screamed, and a frantic backward glance revealed the back window shattered and ready to fall in.
The public schools are excellent; in them in 1898 was introduced by Superintendent John Kennedy the method of individual instruction now known as the "Batavia scheme," under which in rooms of more than fifty pupils there is, besides the class teacher, an "individual" teacher who helps backward children in their studies.
Some of the letters in the name were backward, but the date was clearly 1872.
The genital apertures are neither far forward nor far backward in the series of somites, e.g.
To the savage, and apparently to men more backward than the most backward peoples we know, all nature was a congeries of animated personalities.
In examining the myths of the gods we shall begin with the conceptions of the most backward tribes, and advance to the divine legends of the ancient civilized races.
In general it is in a backward condition, and is now much less productive than in the time of the Romans and again under the Moors.
Both were involved in the agitation in1858-1859for the annexation of the South Platte to Kansas (q.v.), which gained considerable strength; annexation promising to the former much earlier statehood than continued union with the backward region of the North Platte, and to northern Kansas also promising earlier statehood, and an advantage in the sectional struggle with southern Kansas.
Among the Murri of Gippsland, to begin with a backward people, the fire-stealer was a man, but he became a bird.
She headed for the fire, taking a few backward glances to be sure that he was actually caring for the mules.
If the spasms spread to the back muscles, the spine may become strongly arched backward.
Now rock the engine axially and pull it backward about 5/6 inches until the input shaft clears the clutch assembly then lower away.
Our country is still very backward, still very barbaric.
Indeed, globalization of the world village exposed even the most developed societies to the religious barbarism of most backward societies.
And their machines beep when they shift into backward gear.
The slaughterer cuts the bullock 's throat by slicing across it, backward and forward 13 times.
I do not think that circular time involves backward causation of any unacceptable kind.
Circular time seems to have committed me to backward causation.
Obviously we have to provide a mechanism which is backward compatible.
However USB 2.0 devices are backward compatible with USB 1.1 interfaces.
Oracle has repeatedly promised to bend over backward to keep PeopleSoft's 12,200 customers happy, but some are already disgruntled.
A lapse of concentration on the problem at hand ended with an awkward backward fall that dislocated an elbow.
Symptoms may include pain in the elbow and/or forearm, which may feel worse when the middle finger is pressed backward.
The nose wheel is raised backward into front fuselage.
When this is at the leaf surface, some light from the bright spot is scattered backward through the drop to form the heiligenschein.
Only an utter imbecile could go backward from that.â Dutton did not go backward.
But backward countries are part of a world dominated by imperialism.
The remainder of the movie then unfolds backward a'la SCHRAMM or MEMENTO, retracing the events that led to this hellish inferno of violence.
For Superbase, Simon & Tom devised a simpler method of working, which is quite ingenious - they write the file backward!
Running works great, running backward, jumping side steps, jumping in place, jumping jacks, things like that.
He put Richard, his backward brother, in the shade and hogged the limelight for the rest of his life.
In numerical linear algebra he developed backward error analysis methods.
The unit has a backward facing quadruple nosepiece, with objectives x4, x10, x40 and x100 (oil ).
I much prefer Autumn, with the clocks going backward.
For your first turn, turn about three times and say pussycat backward - then you may begin the quest.
Rather they represented a thoroughly reactionary force which wanted to turn society backward.
They may suffer with neck retraction (where the neck is arched backward ).
Now riders are facing up, lying on their backs, going backward, something that is unique to flying roller coasters.
From his eye, he saw a third ruffian hurtle backward into the bushes.
Sudden acceleration of a car, forward or backward causes a loud screech of the tires, even on dirt or wet roads.
I tried to scramble backward on all fours, but the stone flooring proved too slippery under the thick miry coating that covered it.
Their faces are very peculiar, with eyes positioned backward in the head close to very small ears and long, blunt snouts.
Its wings flap up and down as it moves, stopping from time to time to perform backward somersaults.
Entry into the water was by way of a forward dive or backward somersault.