1
- directed behind or to the rear向后的：
she left the room without a backward glance
她没有回头看一眼就离开了房间
a gradual backward movement.
渐渐向后的移动。
1.1
- reverting to an inferior state; retrograde倒退的：
the decision was a backward step.
那个决定是倒退的一步。
2
- (of a person) having learning difficulties（人）智力迟钝的。
2.1
- having made less progress than is normal or expected落后的：
the Russian Empire was economically backward.
俄罗斯帝国经济落后。
3
- predic. with negative(backward in) lacking the confidence to do (something)羞怯的; 犹豫的：
he was not backward in displaying his talents.
他毫不迟疑地展现自己的才华。
4
- Cricket (of a fielding position) behind an imaginary line passing through the stumps at the batsman's end at right angles to the wicket【板球】（场地位置）线后的。
USAGE
In most adverbial uses backward and backwards are interchangeable: the car rolled slowly backward and the car rolled slowly backwards are both equally acceptable. In North American English backward tends to be preferred to backwards, while in British English it is the other way round. As an adjective， on the other hand， the standard form is backward rather than backwards： uses such as a backwards glance （as opposed to a backward glance） are unusual (though not incorrect).
派生词
backwardly
adverbbackwardness
noun词源
Middle English: from earlier abackward, from ABACK.