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Towards vs Untoward - What's the difference?

towards | untoward |

As adjectives the difference between towards and untoward

is that towards is (obsolete) near; at hand; in state of preparation; toward while untoward is unfavourable, adverse, or disadvantageous.

As a preposition towards

is variant of toward.

As an adverb towards

is (obsolete) in the direction of something (indicated by context).

towards

English

Preposition

(en-prep) (mainly in British English )
  • Variant of toward.
  • * 1835 , Sir , Sir (James Clark Ross), Narrative of a Second Voyage in Search of a North-west Passage …, Volume 1 , pp.284-5
    • 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.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2011, date=October 1, author=Phil McNulty, work=BBC Sport
    • , title= Everton 0-2 Liverpool , passage=But with Goodison Park openly directing its full hostility towards Atkinson, Liverpool went ahead when Carroll turned in his first Premier League goal of the season after 70 minutes.}}

    Synonyms

    * toward

    Usage notes

    * Although some have tried to discern a semantic distinction between the words (term) and (towards), the difference is merely dialectal. (term) is the most common form, while (toward) tends to appear only in American English.

    See also

    * See

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • (obsolete) In the direction of something (indicated by context).
  • * 1590 , Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene , II.iv:
    • Thus as he spake, lo far away they spyde / A varlet running towards hastily [...].

    Adjective

    (-)
  • (obsolete) Near; at hand; in state of preparation; toward.
  • * Shakespeare
    • We have a trifling foolish banquet / Towards .

    Statistics

    * English prepositions

    untoward

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Unfavourable, adverse, or disadvantageous.
  • *{{quote-book
    • , year=2004 , author=Jan Riordan , title=Breastfeeding and Human Lactation , chapter=5 , isbn=0763745855 , page=149 , passage=No untoward effects were reported; however, this was not a blinded or controlled study.}}
  • *{{quote-book
    • , year=2007 , author=Steven C. Schachter et al. , title=Behavioral Aspects of Epilepsy: Principles and Practice , chapter=4 , isbn=1933864044 , page=282 , passage=However, these guidelines may not be applicable to all individuals with refractory epilepsy, in whom seizure control is not achieved without using polytherapy or resection surgery with their untoward side effects.}}
  • Unruly, troublesome.
  • Unseemly, improper.
  • *{{quote-book
    • , year=between 1812 and 1814 , author= , title= , chapter=1 , passage=She could hardly have made a more untoward choice.}}
  • *{{quote-book
    • , year=2005 , author=John Martin , title=Organizational Behaviour and Management , isbn=1861529481 , page=518 , passage=The managing director was very depressed at the news, but realized that trying to prove anything untoward had taken place would be very difficult.}}

    Synonyms

    * adverse, disadvantageous, inconvenient, unfavorable, unfortunate * difficult, fractious, stubborn, troublesome, uncontrollable, unruly * immodest, improper, unseemly

    Anagrams

    * *