The Suffix -WARD

The Suffix -WARD 

Hi English learners. Welcome to a new lesson. We will look at the words using the suffix -ward.

We use the suffix -ward with the nouns (homeward, eastward) and prepositions (inward, forward) to form adjectives which denote direction.

Here is the list of the words using the suffix -ward:

• Upward
• Downward
• Leftward/rightward
• Forward
• Backward
• Toward
• Homeward
• Seaward
• Afterwards
• Inward
• Eastward (westward, northward, southward)
• Heavenward
• Windward

The English teachers at My Lingua Academy are happy to help you improve your English. You can attend our individual and group private lessons to learn English for free with our blog posts where you will find loads of grammar and vocabulary lessons, as well as exercises and quizzes. 

Upward

Meaning: pointing or moving up.

• Prices of oil show an upward tendency.
• When she called its name, the dog gave her an upward look.

Downward

Meaning: pointing or moving down.

• The singer’s popularity was on a downward spiral.
• The research showed a downward trend in sales.

Leftward/rightward

Meaning: towards the left (right)

• The new leadership seems to push the country in a leftward direction.
• When you read English, you have to move your eyes in the rightward direction.

Forward

Meaning: in the direction that is in front.

• Monica leaned forward to take the milk.
• This is a big step forward regarding negotiations between the two countries.

Backward

Meaning: in the direction that is opposite from where you are facing.

• Martin made a backward step when he saw a dog.
• The gymnast did an amazing backward somersault.

Toward

Meaning: in the direction of.

• A man was walking toward the building.
• The theatre audience was moving toward the exit.

Homeward

Meaning: toward home.

• It was getting dark, so Sean decided to drive homeward.
• The train was full of commuters heading homeward.

Seaward

Meaning: in the direction of the sea.

• When he looked seaward, he could see a huge ship.
• There was moss growing on the seaward wall of the house.

Afterward

Meaning: after the time mentioned.

• They had lunch, and right afterward they went for a walk.
• Would you be kind to stay afterward and help us tidy up?

Inward

Meaning: toward the inside.

• The door of the room was opening inward.
• When he pressed the ball, it bent inward.

Eastward (westward, northward, southward)

Meaning: in the direction of the east (west, north, south).

• The soldiers were marching northward, over the hills.
• Tom followed the road leading southward.

Heavenward

Meaning: towards heaven.

• Simon lifted his eyes heavenward.
• The violets were fighting their way heavenward.

Windward

Meaning: towards the direction the wind is blowing from.

• The yacht was sailing windward.
• The village was placed on the windward part of the coast.

The difference between the suffixes “-ward” and “-wards”

While we use the suffix -ward to form adjectives, -wards is used to form adverbs.

• The graph showed a downward trend. (adjective describing a noun trend)
• The man was sitting facing downwards. (an adverb showing direction)

If you really want to learn English, book an online English lesson with one of our certified and experienced English teachers We are going to make sure that you have a good run for the money you are investing in your linguistic education. Waste no time and take a trial test for only 1 euro.