The Oxford Thesaurus An A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms - backwardadj.

1) bashful, shy, reticent, diffident, retiring, coy, timid, unwilling, loath, chary, reluctant, averse: She took him to be a bit backward when he didn't respond to her smile. 2) slow, dim-witted, dull, stupid, slow-witted, dumb, feeble-minded, Colloq Brit gormless, dim: Some of the more backward students will need extra help. 3) slow, late, behindhand, retarded: Millie seemed a bit backward in learning to walk. 4) rearward; to the rear, behind; to the past: She gave him a backward glance. He went on through life with never a backward look. 5) retrograde, retrogressive, reverse, regressive: The ancients were unable to account for the apparently backward motion of the planets. --adv. 6) backwards: Walk backward to the door with your hands up.