-wards

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English -wardes, from Old English -weardes, a variant of -weard; equivalent to -ward +‎ -s (adverbial suffix). Cognate with German -wärts, Dutch -waarts. === Pronunciation === (unstressed) (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /wədz/ (General American) IPA(key): /wɚdz/ (stressed, in the word "towards" only) (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /wɔːdz/ (General American) IPA(key): /wɔɹdz/ === Suffix === -wards Forming adjectives and adverbs denoting course or direction to, or motion or tendency toward, as in "backwards", "towards", etc. ==== Usage notes ==== The choice between -ward and -wards is individual or dialectal; both are widely used with adverbs, though -ward is heavily favoured for adjectives. Adverbs ending in -wards (Anglo-Saxon -weardes) and some other adverbs, such as besides, betimes, since (earlier sithens), etc., originated as genitive forms used adverbially. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== -ward ==== Translations ==== === Anagrams === Sward, draws, sward