What does backwards mean?
Definitions for backwards
back·wards
Here are all the possible meanings and translations of the word backwards.
Princeton's WordNet
back, backward, backwards, rearward, rearwards(adverb)
at or to or toward the back or rear
"he moved back"; "tripped when he stepped backward"; "she looked rearward out the window of the car"
backward, backwards(adverb)
in a manner or order or direction the reverse of normal
"it's easy to get the `i' and the `e' backward in words like `seize' and `siege'"; "the child put her jersey on backward"
Wiktionary
backwards(Adverb)
Toward the back.
Etymology: . See -s#Etymology 3
backwards(Adverb)
In the opposite direction of usual.
The clock did not work because the battery was inserted backwards.
Etymology: . See -s#Etymology 3
backwards(Adverb)
In a manner such that the back precedes the front.
The tour guide walked backwards while droning on to the bored seniors.
Etymology: . See -s#Etymology 3
backwards(Adjective)
Oriented toward the back.
The battleship had three backwards guns at the stern, in addition to the primary complement.
Etymology: . See -s#Etymology 3
backwards(Adjective)
Reversed.
The backwards lettering on emergency vehicles makes it possible to read in the rear-view mirror.
Etymology: . See -s#Etymology 3
backwards(Adjective)
Behind current trends or technology.
Modern medicine regards the use of leeches as a backwards practice.
Etymology: . See -s#Etymology 3
backwards(Adjective)
Clumsy, inept, or inefficient.
He was a very backwards scholar, but he was a marvel on the football field.
Etymology: . See -s#Etymology 3
Webster Dictionary
Backwards(adverb)
with the back in advance or foremost; as, to ride backward
Backwards(adverb)
toward the back; toward the rear; as, to throw the arms backward
Backwards(adverb)
on the back, or with the back downward
Backwards(adverb)
toward, or in, past time or events; ago
Backwards(adverb)
by way of reflection; reflexively
Backwards(adverb)
from a better to a worse state, as from honor to shame, from religion to sin
Backwards(adverb)
in a contrary or reverse manner, way, or direction; contrarily; as, to read backwards
Freebase
Backwards
Backwards is the fourth Red Dwarf novel. It is set on the fictional backwards universe version of Earth. The novel was written by Rob Grant on his own. It follows on directly from the second Grant Naylor novel, Better Than Life, ignoring Last Human. As well as continuing the general conceit from the episode Backwards, it contains minor elements from the episode Dimension Jump, and all of the plot from Gunmen of the Apocalypse. An audiobook of Backwards was also produced, read by the author.
Military Dictionary and Gazetteer
backwards
A technical word made use of in the British service to express the retrograde movement of troops from line into column, and vice versa. Also a word of command in the U. S. service, to cause a man, or body of men, to march to the rear without changing front.
British National Corpus
Written Corpus Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'backwards' in Written Corpus Frequency: #2814
Adverbs Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'backwards' in Adverbs Frequency: #306
Anagrams for backwards »
drawbacks
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of backwards in Chaldean Numerology is: 6
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of backwards in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1
Examples of backwards in a Sentence
We have to be clear - the salafists are a step backwards for society, this is not something that we can resolve in two years. It is much more complex than that.
The Republicans in Congress right now … they’re no check on the White House. They’re bending over backwards to shield … folks from scrutiny and accountability, so look, I’m not telling you anything you don’t know. You know this. Here’s the good news. On Nov. 6, you have a chance to restore some sanity to our politics.
I think Roy Moore is virulently anti-gay, the majority bent over backwards and went through legal gymnastics to not recognize the The Georgia adoption decree where this couple agreed the children would be raised jointly and parent them together.
These are people who pushed Poland backwards by many decades.
When setting the stage for a universal health coverage debate, it really introduces the idea that family planning and reproductive health may not be included services and that's a dangerous precedent, we see this increasing understanding that people need access to reproductive health services and this feels like a definite step backwards when talking about medicines and vaccines, but explicitly excluding reproductive health.
Popularity rank by frequency of use
Translations for backwards
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- pozpátkuCzech
- rückwärtsGerman
- επαναφορά επιστροφή, προς τα πίσωGreek
- malantaŭenEsperanto
- hacia atrás, a contrapelo, invertidoSpanish
- tagurpidi, tahapoole, peegelpilt, vanamoodne, saamatu, tagasisuunasEstonian
- takaperin, kelvoton, taaksepäin, vanhanaikainen, väärinpäinFinnish
- ke belakangIndonesian
- indietroItalian
- 뒤로Korean
- دواکهوتو, بهرهودوا, پاشهوپاشKurdish
- whakatuaraMāori
- achterwaartsDutch
- направленный, назад, смотрящийRussian
- bakåtriktad, bakvänd, efterbliven, baklänges, omvänd, efterSwedish
- назадUkrainian
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"backwards." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2021. Web. 19 Jan. 2021. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/backwards>.