back
adjective · adverb · noun · verb
Simple meaning
Returned or restored to a previous place or condition.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
bakIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈbæk
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adjective
At or near the rear.
predicative
Returned or restored to a previous place or condition.
Situated away from the main or most frequented areas.
Not current.
In arrears; overdue.
Moving or operating backward.
adverb
In a direction opposite to that in which someone or something is facing or normally pointing.
In a direction opposite to the usual or desired direction of movement or progress, physically or figuratively.
Towards, into or in the past.
Away from someone or something; at a distance.
Away from the front or from an edge.
So as to shrink, recede or move aside, or cause to do so.
noun
The posterior part of a human (or animal) body from the neck to the end of the spine
The rear of the body, especially the part between the neck and the end of the spine and opposite the chest and belly.
The spine and associated tissues.
The backrest, the part of a piece of furniture which receives the human back.
That which is farthest away from the front.
The side of any object which is opposite the front or useful side.
verb
intransitive
To go in the reverse direction.
transitive
To support.
UKof a hunting dog
To stand still behind another dog which has pointed.
transitive
To push or force backwards.
To make a back for; to furnish with a back.
To adjoin behind; to be at the back of.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A1 · Beginner
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The posterior part of a human (or animal) body from the neck to the end of the spine
Used this way, back is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use back
- “She went back to her parents' house.”adverb
- “Set the clocks back an hour.”adverb
- “He wrote back three days later.”adverb
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
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Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
Having a back or backing, usually of a specified type.
The act of providing approval and support.
Invests in a theatrical production.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Give moral or psychological support, aid, or courage to.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
The grounds in back of a house.
A bag carried by a strap on your back or shoulder.
At or to or toward the back or rear.
Carrying something in a pack on the back.
Scenery hung at back of stage.
A movement back from an impact.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.