toward

toward — preposition

1. showing the direction that someone or something is moving, facing, or looking in

1.prepositionB1
Definition

showing the direction that someone or something is moving, facing, or looking in — often without indicating that the destination is actually reached

Example

The children ran toward the playground as soon as the bell rang.

toward + destination noun for physical direction

Emre walked toward the bookstore to see if his favourite novel had arrived.

walk toward + destination

Common collocations
  • walk toward
  • run toward
  • head toward
  • move toward
  • turn toward
  • glance toward
  • drive toward
Synonyms
  • to

    to implies reaching the destination; toward only indicates direction without guaranteeing arrival

  • in the direction of

    more formal and precise; often used in written instructions

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

toward + destination/person

verb + toward + noun phrase

Usage Note

Unlike to, toward does not imply that the destination was reached. You can drive toward a city all morning and still not arrive there.

Common Mistakes

He came toward me and stopped right in front of me.
He came toward me, waving from a distance.
'came toward' describes the direction of movement but not necessarily arrival; use 'came up to' for arrival.

2. used to say how a person feels, thinks, or behaves in relation to someone or som

2.prepositionB1
Definition

used to say how a person feels, thinks, or behaves in relation to someone or something

Example

The manager has a very friendly attitude toward new employees.

attitude toward + person for relational meaning

Adina felt deep respect toward her grandmother, who had raised six children alone.

feeling + toward + person

Common collocations
  • attitude toward
  • feelings toward
  • respect toward
  • kindness toward
  • behaviour toward
  • hostility toward
  • responsibility toward
Synonyms
  • to

    often interchangeable with toward for attitudes ('kind to' / 'kind toward'), but toward sounds slightly more formal

  • with

    used after specific adjectives like 'angry with' or 'patient with', not a general substitute for toward

Grammar Patterns

feeling/attitude + toward + person/thing

behaviour + toward + person

Usage Note

Commonly paired with abstract nouns that describe feelings or behaviour: attitude, feelings, respect, kindness, hostility, patience, responsibility.

Common Mistakes

My attitude to him is good.
My attitude toward him is good.
In formal English, toward is more common for abstract relations, though 'to' is also acceptable.

3. near or close to a particular time, or close to a location in the course of movi

3.prepositionB2
Definition

near or close to a particular time, or close to a location in the course of moving through it

Example

The temperature drops sharply toward evening in this desert region.

toward + time of day

We should finish this project sometime toward the end of next week.

toward + the end of [period]

Common collocations
  • toward evening
  • toward midnight
  • toward the end
  • toward the centre
  • toward the bottom
Synonyms
  • near

    simpler and more common; 'near evening' means roughly the same as 'toward evening'

Grammar Patterns

toward + time of day/period

toward + location/area

Usage Note

When referring to time, toward indicates approximation — the event happens near that point, not necessarily exactly at it.

4. used to indicate that money, effort, or action is given or used to help pay for

4.prepositionB2
Definition

used to indicate that money, effort, or action is given or used to help pay for something or to achieve a particular result

Example

I save ten percent of my salary each month toward buying a house.

save + toward + gerund phrase for purpose

Caio has been working hard toward earning his degree in environmental science.

Common collocations
  • save toward
  • work toward
  • contribute toward
  • go toward
  • pay toward
  • put toward
  • donate toward
Synonyms
  • for

    simpler and more general; 'save for a house' is more common in everyday speech than 'save toward a house'

Grammar Patterns

save + toward + [goal]

work + toward + [achievement]

contribute + toward + [purpose]

Usage Note

Frequently followed by a gerund (-ing form) when describing the purpose or goal: 'save toward buying', 'work toward achieving', 'go toward building'.

toward — adjective

Word family

  • towards
    prepositionB1
  • untoward
    adjectiveC1
  • forward
    adverbB1
  • backward
    adverbB1
  • upward
    adverbB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: preposition/1

All three words can express direction, but they differ in how much of the journey they cover. Toward indicates direction without promising arrival — you can walk toward a building and stop halfway. To implies that the destination is reached: 'She walked to the library' means she arrived there. For appears after verbs of motion like 'head', 'leave', or 'set off': 'They headed for the mountains' — it emphasises the intended destination rather than the path. In informal speech, these distinctions blur: 'go to the store' is more common than 'go toward the store' unless arrival is uncertain. A good rule: use toward when the endpoint is not yet reached, to when it is, and for after 'leave' or 'set off' to name the destination.

towardtofor

Common collocations

Nouns

  • attitude toward
  • feelings toward
  • step toward
  • move toward
  • progress toward
  • contribution toward

Adverbs

  • directly toward
  • slowly toward
  • quickly toward
  • straight toward
  • back toward

Phrases

  • work toward
  • go toward
  • save toward
  • head toward
  • contribute toward

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Toward comes from the Old English word 'tōweard', which is a combination of 'tō' (meaning 'to') and '-weard' (meaning 'turning toward' or 'in the direction of'). The '-ward' suffix appears in other direction words such as 'forward', 'backward', 'upward', and 'downward'. The '-s' form 'towards' emerged later in the Middle English period and became the dominant British form, while 'toward' remains more common in American English.