toward

He was running toward us.

Definition

1. Preposition:

   • In the direction of: "toward" indicates movement or orientation in the direction of a specific person, place, or thing.
   • In relation to: "toward" expresses a relationship or attitude regarding someone or something.
   • For the purpose of: "toward" indicates a contribution or aim in achieving a goal or result.
   • Approximately at a time: "toward" can indicate a point in time close to a specified moment.

2. Adjective (archaic):

   • Docile or tractable: In older usage, "toward" describes someone who is easy to teach or manage.

Usage Examples

• Preposition:

  • She walked toward the door. (Movement in the direction of the door.)
  • His attitude toward his colleagues is respectful. (Relation or feeling regarding colleagues.)
  • They saved money toward a new car. (For the purpose of buying a new car.)
  • Toward the end of the movie, it became exciting. (Approximately at the final part of the movie.)

• Adjective (archaic):

  • The child was very toward and learned quickly. (The child was docile and easy to teach.)

Advanced Usage

• "toward the light": moving in the direction of a source of illumination.

  • The plant grew toward the light. (The plant oriented itself to receive sunlight.)

• "attitude toward": a fixed way of thinking or feeling about something.

  • Her attitude toward exercise changed after joining a gym. (Her feelings about physical activity shifted.)

• "contribute toward": to give money or effort to help achieve something.

  • He donated $50 toward the school fundraiser. (He gave money to support the fundraising goal.)

Variants and Related Words

• Towards (preposition, British English variant): the same meaning as "toward," used more commonly in British English.

  • The cat ran towards the tree. (Movement in the direction of the tree.)

• Towardly (adj, archaic): having potential for improvement or being promising.

  • The student was towardly and showed great promise. (The student was promising and easy to teach.)

Synonyms

• In the direction of: moving or pointing to a target.
• Regarding: concerning or relating to a subject.
• For: with the aim or purpose of achieving something.

Phrasal Verbs

• Come toward: to move in the direction of the speaker.

  • The dog came toward me wagging its tail. (The dog moved towards me.)

• Go toward: to be used for a specific purpose.

  • All proceeds go toward charity. (All money is used for charitable purposes.)

Related Idioms

• Lean toward: to have a preference or inclination for something.

  • I lean toward choosing the blue option. (I prefer the blue option.)

• Work toward: to make efforts to achieve a goal.

  • They are working toward a peaceful solution. (They are striving for peace.)