towards

English

Etymology

From toward +‎ -s. See -s (Etymology 3)

Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /təˈwɔːdz/, X-SAMPA: /t@"wO:dz/
• (GenAm) IPA: /tʊˈwɔːɹdz/, /twɔːɹdz/, /tɔːɹdz/, X-SAMPA: /tU"wO:r\dz/, /tO:r\dz/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: to‧wards

Preposition

towards (mainly in British English)

1. Variant of toward.
   • 2011 October 1, Phil McNulty, “Everton 0 - 2 Liverpool”, BBC Sport:

     But with Goodison Park openly directing its full hostility towards Atkinson, Liverpool went ahead when Carroll turned in his first Premier League goal of the season after 70 minutes.

Synonyms

• toward

Usage notes

• Although some have tried to discern a semantic distinction between the words toward and towards, the difference is merely dialectal. Towards is the most common form, while toward tends to appear only in American English.

See also

• See w:Adverbial genitive

Translations

toward — see toward

Adverb

towards (comparative more towards, superlative most towards)

1. (obsolete) In the direction of something (indicated by context).
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, II.iv:

     Thus as he spake, lo far away they spyde / A varlet running towards hastily [...].

Adjective

towards (not comparable)

1. (obsolete) Near; at hand; in state of preparation; toward.
   • Shakespeare

     We have a trifling foolish banquet / Towards.

Statistics

• Most common English words before 1923: really · replied · making · #375: towards · friends · forth · fire