Meanings
toward1
alternative UK towards
- USIn the direction of.
She moved toward the door.
2 more examples
[A]Nd when Balaam ſawe that it pleaſed the LORD to bleſſe Iſrael, hee went not, as at other times to ſeeke foꝛ inchantments, but hee ſet his face toward the wilderneſſe.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Numbers 24:1Turning back, then, toward the basement staircase, she began to grope her way through blinding darkness, but had taken only a few uncertain steps when, of a sudden, she stopped short and for a little stood like a stricken thing, quite motionless save that she quaked to her very marrow in the grasp of a great and enervating fear.
1914 November, Louis Joseph Vance, “An Outsider […]”, in Munsey’s Magazine, volume LIII, number II, New York, N.Y.: The Frank A[ndrew] Munsey Company, […], published 1915, →OCLC, chapter III (Accessory After the Fact), page 382, column 1 - USIn relation to (someone or something).
What are your feelings toward him?
1 more example
So that the man that is tender among you, and very delicate, his eye ſhalbe euill toward his bꝛother, and toward the wife of his boſome, and towards the remnant of his childꝛen which he ſhall leaue:
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Deuteronomy 28:54 - USFor the purpose of attaining (an aim).
I'm saving money toward retirement.
- USLocated close to; near (a time or place).
Our place is over toward the station.
1 more example
I am toward nine years older since I left you, yet that is the least of my alterations; […]
a. 1746 (date written), Jonathan Swift, “To Mr. Gay”, in Thomas Sheridan, John Nichols, editors, The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, […], new edition, volume XII, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], published 1801, →OCLC, page 92
- USnot comparableobsoleteApproaching, coming near; impending.
Do you heare ought (Sir) of a Battell toward.
c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene v], page 304, column 1Synonyms: imminent
- USarchaicnot comparableHappening; going on.
He had not definitely accused Mr Peters […]. He had merely felt that something fishy was toward.
1915, P. G. Wodehouse, Something Fresh, Everyman, published 2005, page 1521 more example
Old Dean Herbert, hearing what was toward, comes tottering along hither, to plead humbly for himself and his mill.
1843 April, Thomas Carlyle, “Practical Devotional”, in Past and Present, American edition, Boston, Mass.: Charles C[offin] Little and James Brown, published 1843, →OCLC, book II (The Ancient Monk), page 70 - USarchaicnot comparableobsoletePromising, likely.
Clif[ford] Why that is ſpoken like a toward Prince.
c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], page 154, column 21 more example
My Miſtreſs had a Daughter of nine Years old, a Child of toward Parts for her Age, very dextrous at her Needle, and ſkilful in dreſſing her Baby.
1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “A Description of the Farmer’s Daughter. […]”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume I, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part II (A Voyage to Brobdingnag), page [178] - USnot comparableobsoleteFuture; to-come.
But ear that wiſhed day his beame diſcloſd, / He either enuying my toward good, / Or of him ſelfe to treaſon ill diſpoſd / One day vnto me came in friendly mood, / And told for ſecret how he vnderſtood / […]
1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, page 238
Toward2
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveApproaching, coming near; impending.
Origin
- Proto-West Germanic*tōward
- Old Englishtōweard
- Middle Englishtoward
- Englishtoward
From Middle English toward, from Old English tōweard, from Proto-West Germanic *tōward, equivalent to to + -ward. Cognate with Middle Low German tôwart, Middle Dutch toewaert (Modern Dutch toewaarts), Middle High German zuowart, zūwart (Modern German zuwärts). Compare also Middle English tilward, tillward (“toward”).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek πρός
- πρός (prós)in the direction of
Arabic نَحْوَ, صَوْبَ
- نَحْوَ (naḥwa)in the direction of
- صَوْبَ (ṣawba)in the direction of
- إِلَى (ʔilā)in the direction of
- نَحُو (naḥū)in relation to
- لِأَجْل (li-ʔajl)for the purpose of
- بِقُرْب (biqurb)located near
Bulgarian към, за
- към (kăm)in the direction of
- за (za)in relation to
- отно́сно (otnósno)in relation to
- за (za)for the purpose of
- около (okolo)located near
Catalan cap a, sobre
- cap ain the direction of
- sobrein relation to
- en relació ain relation to
- enversin relation to
- versin relation to
- perfor the purpose of
- per afor the purpose of
Chinese Cantonese 向, 關於 /关于
- 向 (hoeng³)in the direction of
- 關於 /关于 (guaan¹ jy¹)in relation to
- 為了 /为了 (wai⁶ liu⁵)for the purpose of
- 對 /对 (doey³)located near
Chinese Mandarin 向, 朝
- 向 (xiàng)in the direction of
- 朝 (cháo)in the direction of
- 往 (wǎng)in the direction of
- 關於 /关于 (guānyú)in relation to
- 為了 /为了 (wèile)for the purpose of
- 對 /对 (duì)located near
Czech k, směrem k
- kin the direction of
- směrem kin the direction of
- vůčiin relation to
- nafor the purpose of
- poblížlocated near
- blízkolocated near
Danish henimod, henimod
- henimodin the direction of
- henimodfor the purpose of
Dutch naar, naartoe
- naarin the direction of
- naartoein the direction of
Esperanto al
- alin the direction of
Estonian poole, suunas
- poolein the direction of
- suunasin the direction of
Finnish kohti, päin
- kohtiin the direction of
- päinin the direction of
- kohtaanin relation to
- vartenfor the purpose of
- lähellälocated near
- päinlocated near
French vers, envers
- versin the direction of
- enversin relation to
- pourfor the purpose of
- près delocated near
German zu, in Richtung
- zuin the direction of
- in Richtungin the direction of
- nachin the direction of
- aufin the direction of
- zuin relation to
- gegenüberin relation to
- bezüglichin relation to
- hinsichtlichin relation to
- fürfor the purpose of
- umfor the purpose of
- zwecksfor the purpose of
- so umlocated near
Greek προς, προς
- προς (pros)in the direction of
- προς (pros)in relation to
- για (gia)for the purpose of
- προς (pros)located near
Hebrew אל, ל־
- אל (el)in the direction of
- ל־ (l'-)in the direction of
- ־ה (-ah)in the direction of
- בְּנוֹגֵעַ לְ־ (b'nogéa' l'-)in relation to
- למען (lemáan)for the purpose of
- בקרבת (bekirvát)located near
- ליד (leyád)located near
Hindi ... की तरफ़, ... की ओर
- ... की तरफ़ (... kī taraf)in the direction of
- ... की ओर (... kī or)in the direction of
Hungarian felé, iránt
- feléin the direction of
- irántin relation to
- -rafor the purpose of
- -refor the purpose of
- céljábólfor the purpose of
- felélocated near
- környékénlocated near
- közelébenlocated near
Icelandic til
- tilin the direction of
Indonesian terhadap
- terhadapin relation to
Irish chuig, chun
- chuigin the direction of
- chunin the direction of
- go dtíin the direction of
- ionsarin the direction of
- faoi thuairimin the direction of
- in araicisin the direction of
- faoi dhéinin the direction of
- maidir lein relation to
- le haghaidhfor the purpose of
- faoi thuairimfor the purpose of
- faoi chomhairfor the purpose of
- faoi dhéinfor the purpose of
Italian verso, incontro
- versoin the direction of
- incontroin the direction of
- versoin relation to
- perfor the purpose of
- pressolocated near
Japanese の方に, に向かって
- の方に (no hō ni)in the direction of
- に向かって (ni mukatte)in the direction of
- に (ni)in relation to
- に対して (ni taishite)in relation to
- のためにfor the purpose of
- の近くに (no chikaku ni)located near
Korean 로, 향해서
- 로 (ro)in the direction of
- 향해서 (hyanghaeseo)in the direction of
- ...에 관하여 (...e gwanhayeo)in relation to
- ...을 위해 (...eul wihae)for the purpose of
- 쪽 (jjok)located near
Latin ergā, ad
- ergāin the direction of
- adin the direction of
Latvian pretī, pretim
- pretīin the direction of
- pretimin the direction of
- virzienāin the direction of
- piein the direction of
Malay ke
- kein the direction of
Māori mai, ki
- maiin the direction of
- kiin the direction of
Norwegian mot, angående
- motin the direction of
- angåendein relation to
- på grunn avfor the purpose of
Persian به سمت
- به سمت (beh samt)in the direction of
Polish ku, do
- kuin the direction of
- doin the direction of
- w stronęin the direction of
- w kierunkuin the direction of
- oin relation to
- odnośniein relation to
- nafor the purpose of
- kołolocated near
Portuguese a, rumo a
- ain the direction of
- rumo ain the direction of
- atéin the direction of
- para comin relation to
- parafor the purpose of
- porlocated near
Romanian spre, către
- sprein the direction of
- cătrein the direction of
Russian к, в направле́нии
- к (k)in the direction of
- в направле́нии (v napravlénii)in the direction of
- навстре́чу (navstréču)in the direction of
- в сто́рону (v stóronu)in the direction of
- о (o)in relation to
- относительно (otnositelʹno)in relation to
- на (na)for the purpose of
- около (okolo)located near
Slovak k, v ústrety
- kin the direction of
- v ústretyin the direction of
Spanish hacia, sobre
- haciain the direction of
- sobrein relation to
- haciain relation to
- parafor the purpose of
- hacialocated near
Swedish mot, till
- motin the direction of
- tillin the direction of
- angåendein relation to
- rörandein relation to
- omin relation to
- förfor the purpose of
- tillfor the purpose of
- vidlocated near
Tagalog patungo
- patungoin the direction of
Thai สู่, กับ
- สู่ (sùu)in the direction of
- กับ (gàp)in relation to
- เพื่อ (pʉ̂ʉa)for the purpose of
- ใกล้ (glâi)located near
- เกือบ (gʉ̀ʉap)located near
Ukrainian до, в на́прямку
- до (do)in the direction of
- в на́прямку (v náprjamku)in the direction of
- що́до (ščódo)in relation to
Urdu ... کی طرف
- ... کی طرف (... kī taraf)in the direction of
Vietnamese về phía, về hướng
- về phíain the direction of
- về hướngin the direction of
- vềin relation to
- chofor the purpose of
- đểfor the purpose of
- gầnlocated near
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with toward
Anagrams
Cite this entry
toward. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/toward
“toward.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/toward. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “toward,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/toward.
Source: toward on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.