backwater
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A remote place: somewhere that remains unaffected by new events, progresses.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
bakwawterSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈbækwɔtɚ
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.
noun
idiomaticusually figurative
A remote place: somewhere that remains unaffected by new events, progresses, ideas, etc; any field of endeavor that figuratively resembles such a place.
A body of water that was created by a flood or tide or by being held or forced back by a dam
“The bayous and backwaters are breeding grounds for mosquitos.”
A place or condition in which no development or progress is occurring
“The country is an economic backwater.”
The water held back by a dam or other obstruction.
A rowing stroke in which the oar is pushed forward to stop the boat; see back water
verb
idiomatic
To vacillate on a long-held position.
To row or paddle a backwater stroke.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient (estimated)
- Frequency
- Rare
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A remote place: somewhere that remains unaffected by new events, progresses, ideas, etc; any field of endeavor that figuratively resembles such a place.
Used this way, backwater 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.
How It’s Used
The word’s distinct uses, one example each.
Body / waternoun
“The bayous and backwaters are breeding grounds for mosquitos.”
Remote / placenoun
“The country is an economic backwater.”
More ways to use backwater
- “The bayous and backwaters are breeding grounds for mosquitos.”noun
- “The country is an economic backwater.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
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Words can change meaning depending on context.
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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.