From Middle English toward, from Old English tōweard, from Proto-West Germanic *tōward, equivalent to to + -ward. Cognate with Middle Low German tôwart, Middle Dutch toewaert (Modern Dutch toewaarts), Middle High German zuowart, zūwart (Modern German zuwärts). Compare also Middle English tilward, tillward (“toward”).
Meanings
(US, not-comparable) Yielding, pliant; docile; ready or apt to learn; not froward.
(US, dated, not-comparable) Approaching, coming near; impending; present, at hand.
Do you heare ought (Sir) of a Battell toward. c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene v], page 304, column 1:
On the morrow, after mass, our Lord Abbot [Samson of Tottington] orders the Cellerarius to send off his carpenters to demolish the said structure brevi manu, and lay up the wood in safe keeping. Old Dean Herbert, hearing what was toward, comes tottering along hither, to plead humbly for himself and his mill. 1843 April, Thomas Carlyle, “Practical Devotional”, in Past and Present, American edition, Boston, Mass.: Charles C[offin] Little and James Brown, published 1843, →OCLC, book II (The Ancient Monk), page 70:
My Miſtreſs had a Daughter of nine Years old, a Child of toward Parts for her Age, very dextrous at her Needle, and ſkilful in dreſſing her Baby. 1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “A Description of the Farmer’s Daughter. […]”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume I, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part II (A Voyage to Brobdingnag), page [178]:
Clif[ford] Why that is ſpoken like a toward Prince. c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], page 154, column 2:
(US, not-comparable, obsolete) Future; to-come.
But ear that wiſhed day his beame diſcloſd, / He either enuying my toward good, / Or of him ſelfe to treaſon ill diſpoſd / One day vnto me came in friendly mood, / And told for ſecret how he vnderſtood / […] 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, page 238:
From Middle English toward, from Old English tōweard, from Proto-West Germanic *tōward, equivalent to to + -ward. Cognate with Middle Low German tôwart, Middle Dutch toewaert (Modern Dutch toewaarts), Middle High German zuowart, zūwart (Modern German zuwärts). Compare also Middle English tilward, tillward (“toward”).
Meanings
(US) In the direction of.
Turning back, then, toward the basement staircase, she began to grope her way through blinding darkness, but had taken only a few uncertain steps when, of a sudden, she stopped short and for a little stood like a stricken thing, quite motionless save that she quaked to her very marrow in the grasp of a great and enervating fear. 1914 November, Louis Joseph Vance, “An Outsider […]”, in Munsey’s Magazine, volume LIII, number II, New York, N.Y.: The Frank A[ndrew] Munsey Company, […], published 1915, →OCLC, chapter III (Accessory After the Fact), page 382, column 1:
She moved toward the door.
[A]Nd when Balaam ſawe that it pleaſed the LORD to bleſſe Iſrael, hee went not, as at other times to ſeeke foꝛ inchantments, but hee ſet his face toward the wilderneſſe. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Numbers 24:1:
(US) In relation to (someone or something).
What are your feelings toward him?
So that the man that is tender among you, and very delicate, his eye ſhalbe euill toward his bꝛother, and toward the wife of his boſome, and towards the remnant of his childꝛen which he ſhall leaue: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Deuteronomy 28:54:
(US) For the purpose of attaining (an aim).
I'm saving money toward retirement.
(US) Located close to; near (a time or place).
Our place is over toward the station.
I am toward nine years older since I left you, yet that is the least of my alterations; […] a. 1746 (date written), Jonathan Swift, “To Mr. Gay”, in Thomas Sheridan, John Nichols, editors, The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, […], new edition, volume XII, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], published 1801, →OCLC, page 92:
ru относительно (in relation to) · ga chuig (in the direction of) · ka მიმართ (in relation to) · et suunas (in the direction of) · ga maidir le (in relation to) · cmn 為了 /为了 (for the purpose of) · pl w stronę (in the direction of) · grc πρός (in the direction of) · el για (for the purpose of) · mi mai (in the direction of) · de für (for the purpose of) · ru о (in relation to) · fi kohtaan (in relation to) · arz ناحية (in relation to) · ur ... کی طرف (in the direction of) · ga ag tarraingt (located near) · ca en relació a (in relation to) · ka მიმართ (in the direction of) · de in Richtung (in the direction of) · sv vid (located near) · el προς (in the direction of) · hu felé (located near) · ga in araicis (in the direction of) · cmn 往 (in the direction of) · hu céljából (for the purpose of) · ro către (in the direction of) · ca envers (in relation to) · is til (in the direction of) · ga chun (in the direction of) · ga faoi chomhair (for the purpose of) · ca per a (for the purpose of) · de gegenüber (in relation to) · ar صَوْبَ (in the direction of) · es hacia (in relation to) · de auf (in the direction of) · cs směrem k (in the direction of) · es hacia (located near) · mk кон (in the direction of) · it presso (located near) · sh ka (in the direction of) · km ឆ្ពោះទៅ (in the direction of) · no mot (in the direction of) · got 𐌳𐌿 (in the direction of) · ru на (for the purpose of) · th กับ (in relation to) · nl naartoe (in the direction of) · he בקרבת (located near) · de zwecks (for the purpose of) · ru в направле́нии (in the direction of) · pl koło (located near) · sk v ústrety (in the direction of) · hi ... की ओर (in the direction of) · ja の方に (in the direction of) · ky утуру (in the direction of) · bg отно́сно (in relation to) · sdh وەرەو (in the direction of) · yue 關於 /关于 (in relation to) · arz عشان (for the purpose of) · ja に対して (in relation to) · th สู่ (in the direction of) · pl w kierunku (in the direction of) · alt удуру (in the direction of) · de nach (in the direction of) · mi ki (in the direction of) · fy nei (in the direction of) · he ליד (located near) · id terhadap (in relation to) · de [in] Richtung (located near) · he למען (for the purpose of) · sv till (for the purpose of) · es para (for the purpose of) · bcl pasiring (in the direction of) · vi về hướng (in the direction of) · sv angående (in relation to) · nl naar (in the direction of) · he בְּנוֹגֵעַ לְ־ (in relation to) · tpi long (in the direction of) · pt rumo a (in the direction of) · sv mot (in the direction of) · bg за (for the purpose of) · fi kohti (in the direction of) · ja の近くに (located near) · it verso (in the direction of) · de zu (in the direction of) · ga faoi thuairim (for the purpose of) · cmn 向 (in the direction of) · ca vers (in relation to) · ja のために (for the purpose of) · arz قريب من (located near) · cs vůči (in relation to) · de um (for the purpose of) · fr envers (in relation to) · alt удура (in the direction of) · es sobre (in relation to) · vi gần (located near) · cs blízko (located near) · lv pretim (in the direction of) · uk в на́прямку (in the direction of) · lv pie (in the direction of) · he ל־ (in the direction of) · pt por (located near) · es hacia (in the direction of) · ko 향해서 (in the direction of) · hu környékén (located near) · bg около (located near) · pl odnośnie (in relation to) · da henimod (in the direction of) · ia verso (in the direction of) · sv rörande (in relation to) · pl do (in the direction of) · yue 為了 /为了 (for the purpose of) · it per (for the purpose of) · ga le haghaidh (for the purpose of) · hy նկատմամբ (in relation to) · hu iránt (in relation to) · ko 로 (in the direction of) · pt até (in the direction of) · de gegen (located near) · la ad (in the direction of) · eo al (in the direction of) · hu -ra (for the purpose of) · uk що́до (in relation to) · cmn 朝 (in the direction of) · sh prema (in the direction of) · vi về phía (in the direction of) · et poole (in the direction of) · lv pretī (in the direction of) · de zu (in relation to) · hu -re (for the purpose of) · no angående (in relation to) · ga faoi thuairim (in the direction of) · de bezüglich (in relation to) · sv om (in relation to) · sk k (in the direction of) · ar بِقُرْب (located near) · chr ᏗᏜ (in the direction of) · he אל (in the direction of) · hu felé (in the direction of) · bg към (in the direction of) · tl patungo (in the direction of) · ru навстре́чу (in the direction of) · ca sobre (in relation to) · fr vers (in the direction of) · ru в сто́рону (in the direction of) · ro spre (in the direction of) · sv för (for the purpose of) · fi päin (located near) · hi ... की तरफ़ (in the direction of) · ko ...을 위해 (for the purpose of) · pl ku (in the direction of) · ga go dtí (in the direction of) · fr pour (for the purpose of) · uk до (in the direction of) · ar لِأَجْل (for the purpose of) · fi varten (for the purpose of) · ar نَحْوَ (in the direction of) · ar نَحُو (in relation to) · ckb بەرەو (in the direction of) · pt a (in the direction of) · ja に (in relation to) · it incontro (in the direction of) · liv pūolõ (in the direction of) · fr près de (located near) · fi lähellä (located near) · yue 向 (in the direction of) · yue 對 /对 (located near) · pt para com (in relation to) · hu közelében (located near) · la ergā (in the direction of) · ca cap a (in the direction of) · cs na (for the purpose of) · kmr berev (in the direction of) · ga ionsar (in the direction of) · pl o (in relation to) · da henimod (for the purpose of) · hy դեպի (in the direction of) · lv virzienā (in the direction of) · el προς (located near) · cmn 對 /对 (located near) · sh k (in the direction of) · ru около (located near) · cmn 關於 /关于 (in relation to) · ms ke (in the direction of) · io vers (in the direction of) · de so um (located near) · ko ...에 관하여 (in relation to) · vi để (for the purpose of) · th เกือบ (located near) · hy մոտ (located near) · cs poblíž (located near) · vi cho (for the purpose of) · arz ناحية (in the direction of) · ka მიმართულებით (in the direction of) · ar إِلَى (in the direction of) · vo lü (in the direction of) · fi päin (in the direction of) · sv till (in the direction of) · hy համար (for the purpose of) · ca per (for the purpose of) · ko 쪽 (located near) · ja に向かって (in the direction of) · el προς (in relation to) · de hinsichtlich (in relation to) · he ־ה (in the direction of) · vi về (in relation to) · pl na (for the purpose of) · th เพื่อ (for the purpose of) · cs k (in the direction of) · ru к (in the direction of) · lut dxʷʔal (in the direction of) · it verso (in relation to) · pt para (for the purpose of) · th ใกล้ (located near) · no på grunn av (for the purpose of) · bg за (in relation to) · fa به سمت (in the direction of)