aback
English · Thesaurus
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aback¹
- /əˈbæk/ UK
- /əˈbæk/ US
- /aˈbak/ Geordie
- /əˈbe̞k/ New Zealand
Rhymes with -æk
Where it comes from
From Middle English abak, from Old English onbæc, equivalent to a- (“towards”) + back. Compare West Frisian tebek (“aback”, adverb, literally “to/at back”), Swedish tillbaka (idem.).
adverb
- Towards the back or rear; backwards. The mild, though licentious reign, of Louis the Sixteenth, threw France far aback, in her ambitious career; but it gave birth to that revolution, wherein, her warlike propensities and territorial resources were unfolded with tenfold efficacy.
- In the rear; a distance behind. There are so many canes upon Reliance that the labourers could not cut those aback, as they prefer cutting those in front. The cane fields aback were in cultivation last year.
- By surprise; startled; dumbfounded. (see usage) I would rather board a hundred of the enemy's frigates, than steer my boat into a fleet of modest women, for a modest woman never fails to take me aback.
- Backward against the mast; said of the sails when pressed by the wind from the "wrong" (forward) side, or of a ship when its sails are set that way. Q. Was not the Trident at that time aback with one or more Top-sails? A. To the best of my Knowledge she had both Top-sails aback.
Similar: unawares, backwards, rearwards, aft, abaft, astern, behind, back
aback²
- /əˈbæk/ UK
- /əˈbæk/ US
- /aˈbak/ Geordie
- /əˈbe̞k/ New Zealand
Rhymes with -æk
noun abacks
- An inscribed stone square. In the Centre, or midst of the Pegm, there was an Aback, or Square, wherein this Elogy was written.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: surprise, unawares, sternward, astonished, shocked, startled, stunned, amazed, surprised, stupefied, bemused, speechless, dumbfounded, flabbergasted, staggered, bewildered
Translations
Every language
adv backwards
| Español | atrás, hacia atrás |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 後方へ kōhō e |
| हिन्दी | पीछ॓ की ओर, बोचक्क bocakk |
| Português | atrás, para trás |
| Français | en arrière |
| Deutsch | rückwärts |
| Italiano | indietro |
| Ελληνικά | προς τα πίσω pros ta píso |
| Русский | наза́д nazád |
| العربية | إِلَى اَلْخَلْف ʔilā l-ḵalf |
adv in the rear
| Português | atrás |
|---|---|
| Français | derrière |
| Deutsch | hinten |
| Italiano | dietro, di dietro |
| Русский | сза́ди szádi, позади́ pozadí |
| Tiếng Việt | đằng sau, lùi lại, trở lại phía sau, về phía sau |
adv said of sails pressed backward
| Italiano | a collo |
|---|---|
| Ελληνικά | προς τα πίσω pros ta píso |
| Русский | про́тив ве́тра prótiv vétra |
Talk about this word "aback." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/aback. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. aback. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/aback "aback." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/aback.Cite this
@misc{aback_2026,
title = {aback},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/aback},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
