towards, prep. and adv.
(ˈtəʊədz, ˈtɔːədz, tɔədz; təˈwɔːdz)
Forms: 1 toweardes, 1, 6 to wardes, 3–7 towardes, (5 -is, -ys, tawardes, 6 towerdys, Sc. towartis, 7 towardst), 5– towards, (7–8 tow'rds).
[OE. tóweardes, f. tóweard, toward a., with -es, -s of adverbial genitive: see -wards.
(As to varieties of pronunciation see toward prep.)]
A. prep.
1. Of motion, etc.: In the direction of, on the way to: = toward prep. 1.
| c 888 K. ælfred Boeth. xxxix. §1 Hwy ne maᵹon ᵹe ᵹebidan ᵹecyndelices deaðes, nu he eow ælce dæᵹ toweardes onet? c 1122 O.E. Chron. an. 1094, Se eorl innon Normandiᵹ..mid þam cynge of France..ferdon to wardes Ou þær se cyng Willelm inne wæs. c 1205 Lay. 515 Brutus iherde seggen..Þat Pandrasus þe king him towardes com Mid muchelere ferde. 1442 T. Beckington Corr. (Rolls) II. 190 Maister John de Batute departed hens on Saturday at noon towards his cuntrey. 1538 in R. G. Marsden Sel. Pleas Crt. Admiralty (1894) I. 73 They made saile towards their owne countrey. 1552 Huloet, Towardes and toward... Yet marke the maner of phrase as you dyd in amonge & amongest. 1766 Goldsm. Vic. W. x, The procession marching slowly forward towards the church. 1816 J. Wilson City of Plague i. i, Every step I take Towards the city. 1860 Tyndall Glac. i. viii. 59, I turned towards home. |
† b. pred. after to be: On the way to: = toward prep. 1 b. Obs.
| 1601 Shakes. All's Well iii. ii. 71 Towards Florence is he? |
† c. To (with implication of reaching): = toward prep. 1 c. Obs.
| 1467 Coventry Leet Bk. 335 Also þat [they] sufficiently amende þe fotewey towardes Crab-tre-feld. 1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. i. xxii. 29 Too dispatche and sende away the knight..towardes the court, too aduertise the king. 1611 Shakes. Wint. T. iv. iii. 121, I will..pace softly towards my Kinsmans. 1613 T. Milles tr. Mexia's, etc. Treas. Anc. & Mod. T. 698/1 Pope Innocent..sent verie Learned and Religious men towards Baty. |
2. Of position: In the direction of; on the side next to; directed to, facing: = toward prep. 2.
| 1423 Jas. I Kingis Q. civ, Benignely sche turnyt has hir face Towardis me. 1503 in Lett. Rich. III & Hen. VII (Rolls) I. 202 The said bishop as he stode..towardes the quere. 1555 Bradford in Strype Eccl. Mem. (1721) III. App. xlv. 129 To make all our Haven-Townes mor stronger towardes the Land, than they be towardes the Sea. 1611 Bible Ps. xxv. 15 Mine eyes are euer towards the Lord. 1662 J. Davies tr. Olearius' Voy. Ambass. 58 Canon, with the mouths towards that street. 1726 Leoni Alberti's Archit. I. 99/2 Hills towards the North..encrease the heat. 1727 Swift Let. Eng. Tongue Wks. 1755 II. i. 186 The Northern parts lying towards the Euxine. 1851 Helps Comp. Solit. vi. 85, I sat upon a garden seat in a sheltered nook towards the south. |
† b. Beside, near; in attendance on, about; in the possession of; with: = toward prep. 2 b. Obs.
| ? 1447 Lett. Marg. Anjou & Bp. Beckington (Camden) 94 We..praye yow hertely, that..ye wil have oure said secretary towards yow. 1459 Rolls of Parlt. V. 367 Persones of grete myght, havyng towardes theym of their lyverey..such multitude of Robbers, Rioters, and myschevous persones. 1614–15 Archdeaconry of Essex Minutes lf. 103 b (MS.), The prince his landresse and a man towards the prince were by the harbenger placed to lodge in his house. 1664 Marvell Corr. Wks. (Grosart) II. 166 Had chosen his Excellence the Earle of Carlisle..for his Ambassador Extraordinary towards him. |
3. In the direction of (fig.). a. gen. = toward prep. 3 a.
| 1634 Sir T. Herbert Trav. 49 Their beauties are..such as preuaile in my iudgement, towards chastitie, more then Ouids Remedy of Loue. 1692 E. Walker Epictetus' Mor. lxxi, He that labours on Towards Perfection. 1763 J. Brown Poetry & Mus. xiv. 241 In all polished States, these Arts have a natural Tendency towards Corruption. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. ii. I. 231 The king was suspected by many of a leaning towards Rome. 1871 R. H. Hutton Ess. v. (1888) 118 The absolute will towards right. |
b. Introducing the object of action or feeling: = toward prep. 3 b.
| 1390 Gower Conf. II. 32, I mai wel..Excuse me of necgligence Towardes love in alle wise. 1483 in Lett. Rich. III & Hen. VII (Rolls) I. 48 Good will towardes hir housband. c 1495 Ibid. II. 57 To ordre that matier towardis hym as he shalbe right well contented. 1536 Cal. Anc. Rec. Dublin (1889) I. 498 Thankes off hys grett goodnes towerdys me. 1536 in Lett. Suppress. Monasteries (Camden) 99 How I shal use me self towardes thaim. 1596 Spenser F.Q. vi. ii. 11 To blame him for such cruelty Towards a Ladie. 1682 Norris Hierocles 32 Friendship ought to be exercised towards all, but especially toward good men. 1713 Berkeley Guard. No. 3 ¶1 A sense of piety towards heaven. 1802–12 Bentham Ration. Judic. Evid. (1827) IV. 53 He has as good a pretence and (as towards the public) a justification, as heart can wish. 1885 Manch. Exam. 10 July 5/2 The sentiments of the Thibetans towards us. |
† c. In favour of; favourable to: = for prep. 7. Obs. rare.
| 1472 Paston Lett. III. 52 To have thys Parlement as for one of the burgeys of the towne of Maldon, syche a man of worchep and of wytt as wer towardys my seyd Lady. 1477 Ibid. 171 And [= if] ye come and fynde the mater no more towards you then ye dyd afortyme. |
d. Compared to, in comparison with: = to prep. 18, toward prep. 3 d. Now dial.
| a 1568 Coverdale Bk. Death xxv. (1579) 113 In comparison whereof.. myrthe and cheere vpon earth is scarce to be esteemed as castinge counters towardes the finest coynes of Golde. 1685 Travestin Siege Newheusel 27 They fought with such desperation and courage towards what they had done before. 1887 S. Cheshire Gloss., To'arts as, in comparison with. |
e. In expression of good wishes for (a person, or his health): = to prep. 12 a, 26 b. dial.
| 1766 Goldsm. Vic. W. xxi, Drinking towards my good health. 1855 Thackeray Newcomes xi, Here's towards you, my buck. |
4. Of time or succession: = toward prep. 4.
| 1594 Shakes. Rich. III, iii. v. 101, I goe, and towards three or foure a Clocke Looke for the Newes. 1661 Lovell Hist. Anim. & Min. Introd., Snailes, which some count most dainty sweet and nourishing meat, and are best towards winter. 1754 Sherlock Disc. (1759) I. ix. 251 These Words stand towards the Close of St. John's Gospel. 1836 Backwoods of Canada 208 The skins are very thick and glossy towards winter. 1886 C. E. Pascoe Lond. of To-day xxxi. (ed. 3) 282 In Whitehall Gardens..Beaconsfield lived for a short time towards the latter part of his life. |
5. ‘Getting on for’, verging upon, nearly as much as; tending to: = toward prep. 5.
| 1570 Foxe A. & M. (ed. 2) 2276/2 Being iudged by the common people, more then an hundreth yeare of age, and by her own estimation well towardes a c. 1619 Hales Gold. Rem. ii. (1673) 84 When Gomarus had spoken towards an hour and a half. 1626 Bacon Sylva §77 Water, thicker, and more towards Ice, than Common Water. 1712 Steele Spect. No. 437 ¶1 She was gay, airy, and a little towards Libertine in her Carriage. 1777 Burke Corr. (1844) II. 195 Where there are towards six hundred persons. 1845 J. H. Newman Ess. Developm. 41 When he is towards fifty, Mr. Wesley marries. |
† 6. In prospect of, approaching: = toward prep. 6. Obs.
| 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. cccxxvii. 512 He was towardes a treaty for a maryage for him with the doughter of y⊇ kyng of Castell. 1541 St. Papers Hen. VIII, VIII. 599 As towching ony maryage that she was towardes, I harde of non. 1611 Tourneur Ath. Trag. ii. v, What, is not thy mistresse towards a husband yet? a 1624 Bp. M. Smith Serm. (1632) 141, I did not know that thou hadst a cause towards hearing. 1661 in Verney Mem. (1907) II. 175, I here your son is towardes a good fortewen. 1688 Shadwell Sqr. Alsatia v, Your brother has heard of this great match you are towards. |
† b. Coming upon, in store for: = toward prep. 6 b. Obs.
| 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 14 b, There was muche trouble towardes him, what by the Turkes, and what by the Frenche men. 1633 Bp. Hall Hard Texts, N.T. 123 Jesus..well knew what evill was towards him. 1719 Young Busiris v. i, I fear some ill is tow'rds me. 1749 Fielding Tom Jones viii. vi, I dreamed..that I stumbled over a stool without hurting myself; which plainly showed me something good was towards me. |
7. In contribution to; for making up, promoting, etc.: = toward prep. 7.
| 1474 Coventry Leet Bk. 412 Such benivolence as his louyng subgettes there schall shewe vnto hym towardes his grete viage in-to ffraunce. 1521 in Essex Rev. XIII. 221 Item I bequeth to Bryghtlyngsey Church towards lengthing of our Lady Chapell..iii. quarters of the ship called the Trinitie. 1639 S. Du Verger tr. Camus' Admir. Events 77 Nothing could have prevailed towards the saving of his life. 1729 Law Serious C. viii, She pays their rent, and gives them something yearly towards their clothing. 1806 Act 46 Geo. III, c. 132 (title) To advance a certain sum..towards that purpose. 1908 Month Mar. 317 This is a contribution towards what is now denominated ‘Methodology’. |
8. For to ..-wards, separated by the n. or pron., see -wards. Cf. to prep. 2 e, toward prep. 8.
B. adv. or predicative adj. I. Predicative, or following a n.: cf. predicative uses of toward a.
† 1. In preparation, at hand, coming on, imminent: cf. toward a. 2 b. Obs.
| 1468 Sir J. Paston in P. Lett. II. 328 If ye undrestond that any assawte schold be towardys. 1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. i. xxii. 28 There was no danger towards. 1592 Shakes. Rom. & Jul. i. v. 124 We haue a trifling foolish Banquet towards. 1637 Suckling Aglaura ii. i, If there be not some great storme towards, Ne'er trust me. 1652 D. Osborne Lett. (1888) 30 His marriage, which I hear is towards, with a daughter of [etc.]. 1697 Vanbrugh Relapse iii. ii, Take heed my heart, for there are dangers towards. |
† 2. Favourable, compliant, forward, ready. Obs.
| c 1525 Abp. Warham in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. iii. I. 366 Seing men grudgeth to be towardes in graunting, it is to be feared they will make more murmur and busynes in the tyme of payment. |
† 3. At hand, ready, present: cf. toward a. 6.
| 1548 Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. John 71 b, Being redy and towardes at his call. 1564 Haward Eutropius vi. K vij b, Hys Sonne also, a valyaunte and worthye yonge man towardes. |
II. 4. In the direction of some person or thing indicated by the context (cf. toward adv. 1, forwards, onwards). Obs. or arch.
| 1590 Spenser F.Q. i. ii. 15 The knight.., when him he spide,..Gan fairely couch his speare, and towards ride. Ibid. ii. iv. 37 A varlet ronning towards hastily. 1592 Arden of Feversham iii. vi, At your dags discharge Make towards. 1818 Keats Endym. iii. 494 This fire, like the eye of gordian snake, Bewitched me towards; and I soon was near A sight too fearful for the feel of fear. |
† b. ? Towards some end or purpose; (as a contribution) towards something. Obs.
| 1473 Sir J. Paston in P. Lett. III. 104, I pray yow sende me worde..iff I have Caster ageyn, whethyr she [my modre] wolle dwelle ther or nott, and I wyll fynde hyr a prest towardes at my charge. |
† 5. Onwards, on (in quot., of time): cf. toward adv. 2. Obs. rare—1.
| 1586 J. Hooker Hist. Irel. in Holinshed II. 158/1 The daie being spent to small purpose, and the night drawne towards, he incamped. |