Definition of back - Reverso English Dictionary
Adverb
1.
movementin a direction opposite to facing
- He stepped back to avoid the ball.
2.
returnto a previous condition or place
- She went back to her hometown.
3.
timetowards or in the past
- Thinking back, I remember the good times.
4.
distanceaway from someone or something
- She moved back from the edge.
5.
responsein a reciprocal manner
- She smiled back at him.
Noun
1.
medicalrear part of the human body from neck to spine
- He has a tattoo on his back.
2.
orientationside of an object opposite the front
- The back of the book is torn.
3.
sportsposition behind most players in sports
- He plays as a back in the team.
4.
extra supportsupport or resource in reserve
- She always has her family's back.
5.
furniturepart of a chair you lean against
- The chair's back is very comfortable.
6.
barRare US non-alcoholic drink with hard liquorRare US
- He ordered a whiskey with a water back.
Adjective
1.
positionlocated at or near the rear
- The back door was left open.
2.
directiondirected or moving backward
- He took a few back steps..
3.
restoredreturned to a previous state
- The system is back online after the outage.
4.
moneyoverdue or in arrears
- She has back payments on her loan.
5.
remoteUK situated away from main areasUK
- They live in a back village far from the city.
6.
phoneticsTECH. produced with the tongue positioned toward the rear of the mouthTECH.
- The vowel in 'caught' is a back vowel.
7.
timeRare not current or outdatedRare
- He wore a back style from the 80s.
Verb
1.
motionintr. move in the reverse directionintr.
- The car began to back slowly.
2.
supporttr. support or endorsetr.
- She decided to back the new proposal at the meeting..
3.
gamblingtr. bet money ontr.
- He likes to back the underdogs in horse races..
4.
movementtr. push or force backwardstr.
- He backed the chair against the wall.
5.
locationintr. lie behind and share a boundary with somethingintr.
- The garden backs the old house.
6.
maritimeintr. change direction contrary to normal patternintr.
- The wind began to back unexpectedly.
7.
furnishtr. Rare make a back for somethingtr. Rare
- She backed the quilt with soft fabric.
Images of back
part of a chair you lean against
Expressions with back
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
move backward into something
She accidentally backed into the garage door.
reverse a vehicle from a confined space
She had to back out of the narrow driveway.
reassembled into a whole
The broken vase is back together now.
move backwards, especially to allow more space
The truck had to back up to fit in the parking space..
return to a previous place or state
She decided to go back to her hometown.
moving repeatedly between two places
She paced back and forth in the room.
the part of the hand opposite the palm
He has a tattoo on the back of his hand.
physically positioned on someone's back
The child was on his father's back during the hike.
located or carried on the rear surface of someone or something
The child sat on the back of the bike.
change the time to an earlier hour
We need to put the clock back this weekend.
sit on and be carried on another person's back
The child loved to ride her father's back.
some time ago in the past
I met him a while back at the conference.
reply rudely to someone in authority
He was punished for answering back to the teacher.
take a less aggressive position in a conflict
He decided to back down to avoid a fight.
restore physical fitness after inactivity
She worked hard to back into shape after the injury.
rear section of a bus for passengers
She always sits at the back of the bus.
move backwards away from something
The dog started to back off when I approached.
returning to normal life after a setback
After the divorce, she took time to get back on her feet.
resuming normal progress
The team is back on track after the break.
have the rear side facing or overlooking something
The house backs onto a beautiful park.
give help or support to a person
I will back you up if you need me.
in secret without someone's knowledge
They planned the surprise party behind my back.
without someone's knowledge or permission
They planned the surprise party behind her back.
in secret without someone's knowledge
They planned the surprise party behind her back.
Origin of back
Old English, bæc (back) + -ward (direction)
Terms with back included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
location
at the back of something
home
furniture with a back for one person to sit
medical
back part of the human foot
movement
come back to a place or person
cause movement
cause to move quickly back and forth or up and down
body
the back part of a male's foot
return
back to a previous state or place
location
at or to the back of something
clothing
rear part of a shoe that supports the back of the foot
shape
circular or oval shape formed by curving a line back towards itself
ownership
give something back to its original owner
exchange
act of giving back something received
arrival
act of going back to a place
gentle motion
move gently back and forth
physical motion
rapid movement back and forth or up and down
motion
move back and forth from a fixed point
hold back
delay action until a specific time or event
motion
move back and forth repeatedly
travel
journey to a place and back within one day
posture
sit or stand with a straight back
hand motion
gesture moving the hand back and forth
food
cured meat from a pig's sides or back
money loan
receive money from a lender to be paid back later
object measurement
distance between front and back of an object
Examples of back in a sentence
The dog jumped back from the firework. He turned back after realizing he forgot his keys. The cat came back after a week of wandering. Looking back, I see my mistakes. Back in those days, life was simpler. He stepped back to admire the painting.
The dog jumped back when the cat hissed. He waved back from the train. The company called back within an hour. She felt a sharp pain in her back. The massage focused on his lower back. The back of the painting was covered in dust. He leaned against the back of the chair, relaxing. The coach selected her at back. A back stopped the late attack. He knew he had his team's back in the competition. With her friends' back, she felt invincible. The back of the chair was elegantly carved. She leaned against the back for support. The bartender served rum with a ginger ale back. Could I get a soda back with my bourbon? The back seats were reserved for the staff. He parked the car in the back lot. She gave a back glance before leaving. The car made a sudden back movement. The old charm of the house is back. The website is back to its original design. The tenant paid three months of back rent. The company cleared its back taxes before the audit. They found a back road leading to the cabin. The back alley was rarely visited by tourists. The 'o' in 'dog' is a back vowel. Linguists study back vowels in various languages. The shop still sells back issues of the magazine. Her back ideas no longer suit the company. Please back away from the edge. The truck backed into the loading bay. The senator decided to back the new environmental bill. Many fans back the team despite their recent losses. She decided to back her favorite team in the finals. Many people back the winning horse without much thought. The car backed into the driveway. She backed away from the aggressive dog. The garage backs onto a narrow alley. Our house backs a beautiful park. The ship had to back to avoid the storm. Sailors noticed the wind starting to back. The upholsterer backed the chair with sturdy canvas. They backed the curtain with a thick lining.
View all translations of back
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:en arrière, dos, ...
- German:zurück, Rücken, ...
- Italian:indietro, schiena, ...
- Spanish:hacia atrás, espalda, ...
- Portuguese:para trás, costas, ...
- Chinese:向后, 背部, ...
- Japanese:後ろに, 背中, ...
- Arabic:إلى الوَراء, ظَهْر, ...
- Hebrew:אָחוֹרָה, גַּב, ...
- Russian:назад, спина, ...
- Ukrainian:назад, спина, ...
- Hindi:पीछे, पीठ, ...
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