different between aback vs backward

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??bæk/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /??bæk/
• Rhymes: -æk

Etymology 1

• From Middle English abak, from Old English onbæc.
• a- (“towards”) +? back (“back”).

Compare West Frisian tebek (“aback”, adverb, literally “to/at back”), Swedish tillbaka (idem.).

Adverb

aback (not comparable)

1. (archaic) Towards the back or rear; backwards. [First attested prior to 1150.]
2. (archaic) In the rear; a distance behind. [First attested prior to 1150.]

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Knolles to this entry?)
3. By surprise; startled; dumbfounded. (see usage)
4. (nautical) Backward against the mast; said of the sails when pressed by the wind from the "wrong" (forward) side, or of a ship when its sails are set that way. [First attested in the late 17^th century.]

Usage notes

• (by surprise): Preceded by a form of the word take, see take aback.

Translations

See also

• Category:English phrasal verbs with particle (aback)

Etymology 2

From abacus.

Noun

aback (plural abacks)

1. (obsolete) An abacus.

Translations

References

Anagrams

• Baack, Ba?ka

English

Etymology

From Middle English bakwarde, abakward, equivalent to back (adverb) +? -ward.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?bæk.w?(?)d/
• (US) enPR: b?k'w?rd, IPA^(key): /?bækw?d/

Adjective

backward (comparative more backward, superlative most backward)

1. Situated toward or at the rear of something.

   The silt collects in the backward part of the tank.

2. Acting or moving in the direction opposite to that in which someone or something is facing.

3. Acting or moving in the direction opposite to the usual direction of movement.

   Engage the lock to prevent backward rotation of the wheel.

   Synonym: retrograde

4. (figuratively) Acting or moving oppositely to the desired direction of progress.

5. Reversed in order or sequence.

   This backward writing is hard to read.

6. Reluctant or unable to advance or act.
7. (may be offensive) Of a culture, country, practice etc., undeveloped or unsophisticated.

   They were a backward people without any writing.
8. (may be offensive) Slow to apprehend; having difficulties in learning.

9. Lacking progressive or enlightened thought; outdated.

   The party's ideas and policies are very backward.

   Synonyms: antediluvian, antiquated, backwards, parachronistic, retrograde; see also Thesaurus:obsolete

   Antonym: progressive

10. Late or behindhand.

    Synonyms: overdue, tardy; see also Thesaurus:overdue

11. (chess) Of a pawn, further behind than pawns of the same colour on adjacent files and unable to be moved forward safely.
12. (cricket) On that part of the field behind the batsman's popping crease.
13. (cricket) Further behind the batsman's popping crease than something else.
14. (obsolete) Unwilling; averse; reluctant.
15. (obsolete) Already past or gone; bygone.

    Synonyms: forepast, historical; see also Thesaurus:past

Usage notes

Backwards is possible as a synonym for most senses, both adjectival and adverbial.

• Strictly speaking, in British English backward is an adjective and backwards is an adverb:

  It was a backward move vs He moved backwards

In American English, the rule may be reversed, and in written American English, backward is more common for the adverb. This follows the same usage for similar words ending in -ward/-wards and -way/-ways. See also -wise.

• Only the -ward forms are commonly used in combination with an adjective, e.g.:

  A backward-facing statue.

Synonyms

• (toward the back): hindwards, rearward, retrograde
• (in the opposite direction of usual): contrariwise, reversedly; See also Thesaurus:contrarily
• (so that the back precedes the front): back to front, in reverse; See also Thesaurus:back to front

Derived terms

Synonyms

• (reversed): mirror image, switched, back to front
• (undeveloped): crude, dated, obsolete, primitive; see also Thesaurus:obsolete

Translations

Adverb

backward (comparative more backward, superlative most backward)

1. At, near or towards the rear of something.

   The passenger turned around and walked backward, towards the tail of the aircraft.

2. In a direction opposite to that in which someone or something is facing or normally pointing.

   He tilted his head backward.

   The grandfather clock toppled backward and crashed to the ground.

   Her arm was bent backward at an odd angle.

3. In a direction opposite to the usual direction of movement.

   In reverse gear the wheel turns backward.

4. (figuratively) Oppositely to the desired direction of progress, or from a better to a worse state.

   This project seems to be going backward.

   • 1700, John Dryden, Theodore and Honoria

     The work went backward.

5. In a reversed orientation; back to front.

   He had his cap on backward.

6. In a reversed order or sequence.

   A palindrome reads the same backward as forward.

7. Toward or into the past;

   As we begin the new millennium, it behoves us to look backward as well as forward.

8. (obsolete) In the past.
9. By way of reflection; reflexively. (Can we add an example for this sense?)

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Sir J. Davies to this entry?)

Usage notes

See notes under adjective sense.

Antonyms

• forward, forwards

Translations

Noun

backward

1. The state behind or past.

Translations

Related terms

• backwards

References

• backward at OneLook Dictionary Search
• backward in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• draw back, drawback