backwoods

B3A1C3K5W4O1O1D2S1
Australia, US/ˈbækˌwʊdz/UK/ˈbak.wʊdz/British, Southern, Standard/ˈbak.wɵdz/Northern Ireland, Scotland/ˈbak.wʉdz/

noun

Partly or wholly uncleared forest, especially in North America.

Similar
backwoodback countryboondockshinterland
UncommonScrabble 21
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Meanings

nounbackwoods pl (plural only)
  1. pluralplural onlyPartly or wholly uncleared forest, especially in North America.
  2. pluralplural onlyA remote or sparsely inhabited region, especially in North America; away from big towns and from the influence of modern life.

    about that time, you may[…]reckon, if like me you belong to the back-woods, that I began to make up my acquaintance with hard times, and a plenty of them.

    1834, David Crockett, A Narrative of the Life of, Nebraska, published 1987, page 22
    1 more example

    It was not far from the house; but the ground sank into a depression there, and the ridge of it behind shut out everything except just the roof of the tallest hayrick. As one sat on the sward behind the elm, with the back turned on the rick and nothing in front but the tall elms and the oaks in the other hedge, it was quite easy to fancy it the verge of the prairie with the backwoods close by.

    1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC
adjectivebackwoods (not comparable)
  1. not comparablePertaining to the backwoods.
  2. not comparableRough, uncouth, coarse, or crude in social matters.

Synonyms & antonyms

Similar
backwood

nouna remote and undeveloped area

Similar
back countryboondockshinterland
Broader
countryrural area
Also see
backwaterbackwoodsyboondockbumfuck nowhereends of the earthhinterlandjerkwater townmiddle of nowherenowheresvilleone-horse townthe sticks

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From back + woods.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Czech divočina, zapadákov
  • divočinauncleared forest
  • zapadákova remote place
  • zaostalá oblasta remote place
  • oblast odříznutá od světaa remote place
Finnish syrjäseutu, takametsä
  • syrjäseutua remote place
  • takametsäa remote place
French sous-bois
  • sous-boisuncleared forest
German abgelegene Gegend
  • abgelegene Gegenda remote place
Italian boscaglia
  • boscagliauncleared forest
Polish dziki las, zadupie
  • dziki lasuncleared forest
  • zadupiea remote place
Portuguese sertão
  • sertãoa remote place
Russian захолу́стье, глушь
  • захолу́стье (zaxolústʹje)a remote place
  • глушь (glušʹ)a remote place
  • глуби́нка (glubínka)a remote place
Swedish obygd
  • obygda remote place
Cite this entry
APA

backwoods. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/backwoods

MLA

“backwoods.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/backwoods. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “backwoods,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/backwoods.

Source: backwoods on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.