FromMiddle Englishtowardes, fromOld Englishtōweardes,tōwærdes, equivalent totoward +‎-s(adverbial suffix).

• (Received Pronunciation)IPA^(key):/təˈwɔːdz/,[tʰə̥ˈwɔːdz]

  (traditional)IPA^(key):/ˈtɔːdz/

• (General American)IPA^(key):/tʊˈwɔɹdz/,/ˈtɔɹdz/,/ˈtoʊɚdz/,[tʰə̥ˈwɔɹ̠d̠z],[tʰw̥ɔɹ̠d̠z]
• (New Zealand)IPA^(key):/tɘˈwoːdz/,[tʰɘ̥ˈwoːdz],[tʰw̥oːdz]

• Audio(US):

  (file)

• Rhymes:-ɔː(ɹ)dz,-oːdz
• Hyphenation:to‧wards

towards

1. Alternative form oftoward

   Synonym:toward

   Antonyms:fromward,fromwards

   • 1835, SirJohn Ross, SirJames Clark Ross,Narrative of a Second Voyage in Search of a North-west Passage …, Volume 1, pages284–5:

     Towards the following morning, the thermometer fell to 5°; and at daylight, there was not an atom of water to be seen in any direction.

   • 1960 December, Voyageur, “The Mountain Railways of the Bernese Oberland”, inTrains Illustrated, page752:

     To the left towers the Jungfrau, with the train heading directlytowards it.

   • 2011 October 1, Phil McNulty, “Everton 0-2 Liverpool”, inBBC Sport:

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

• Although some have tried to discern asemantic distinction between the wordstoward andtowards, the only difference in practice is dialectal.Toward is more common inAmerican English andtowards is more common inBritish English, though each form may be found in both varieties.

• SeeAdverbial genitive

towards (notcomparable)

1. In the direction of something (indicated by context).
   • 1590,Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto IV”, inThe Faerie Queene. […], London:[…] [John Wolfe] forWilliam Ponsonbie,→OCLC:

     Thus as he spake, lo far away they spyde / A varlet runningtowards hastily[…]

towards (notcomparable)

1. Near; at hand; in state of preparation;toward.
   • c.1591–1595 (date written),William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London:[…]Isaac Iaggard, andEd[ward] Blount, published1623,→OCLC,[Act I, scene v]:

     We have a trifling foolish banquettowards.

towards

1. Alternative form oftowardes