towards

towards — preposition

1. used to say where a person or thing is going, pointing, or looking, or that they

1.prepositionA2
Definition

used to say where a person or thing is going, pointing, or looking, or that they are getting nearer to a particular person, place, or thing — for example, walking towards a door or turning your head towards a speaker.

Example

Daichi threw the ball towards Faisal, but it landed in the bushes.

towards + noun (direction with verb of motion: threw)

A black car was driving towards the bridge at high speed.

towards + noun (direction with driving)

Common collocations
  • walk towards
  • run towards
  • drive towards
  • point towards
  • look towards
  • move towards
Synonyms
  • toward

    American English variant; identical meaning and use

  • in the direction of

    more formal and longer, used mostly in written English

Antonyms
  • away from

    indicates opposite direction of movement

Grammar Patterns

towards + noun/pronoun (physical direction)

Usage Note

Commonly appears after verbs of motion or direction — 'walk', 'run', 'drive', 'fly', 'move', 'point', 'look', 'turn'. In American English, 'toward' (without -s) is equally standard and more frequent.

Common Mistakes

He walked to towards the store.
He walked towards the store.
Do not use 'to' before 'towards'; 'towards' already expresses direction.

2. showing how a person feels, thinks, or behaves in relation to someone or somethi

2.prepositionA2
Definition

showing how a person feels, thinks, or behaves in relation to someone or something — for example, having a kind attitude towards a neighbour, or feeling angry towards a company.

Example

Dario has a very positive attitude towards learning new languages.

attitude + towards + gerund phrase

The government's policy towards small businesses has become more supportive recently.

policy + towards + noun phrase

Common collocations
  • attitude towards
  • feelings towards
  • behaviour towards
  • kind towards
  • hostile towards
  • policy towards
Synonyms
  • toward

    American English variant; identical meaning and use

  • regarding

    more formal; used mainly in written correspondence and official contexts

  • about

    less formal; more common in spoken English with verbs like 'feel' or 'think'

Grammar Patterns

feeling/attitude + towards + noun/pronoun

Usage Note

Common in patterns where an abstract noun or adjective describing an emotion or reaction is followed by 'towards' + the target of that emotion: 'attitude towards', 'feelings towards', 'kind towards', 'hostile towards'.

Common Mistakes

I have a good attitude for my studies.
I have a good attitude towards my studies.
Use 'towards' (not 'for') to indicate the object of an attitude or feeling.

3. somewhere close to a certain moment, day, or location, often used with expressio

3.prepositionB1
Definition

somewhere close to a certain moment, day, or location, often used with expressions like 'the end of the day', 'midnight', or 'the top of the hill' — for example, arriving towards evening or sitting towards the back of the room.

Example

The café gets busy towards lunchtime, so come early to get a seat.

towards + time noun (lunchtime)

Towards the end of the film, the audience was in tears over the sad ending.

towards the end of + noun

Common collocations
  • towards the end
  • towards midnight
  • towards evening
  • towards the back
  • towards the top
Synonyms
  • toward

    American English variant; identical meaning and use

  • close to

    more general; works for both time and physical proximity

  • approaching

    more literary; implies gradual movement towards a point

Antonyms
  • far from

    opposite for spatial usage

  • after

    opposite for temporal usage (after the end, not towards it)

Grammar Patterns

towards + time expression (the end of..., midnight, etc.)

Usage Note

With time expressions, 'towards' means 'close to but not exactly at' that time. It does not mean 'until' or 'up to'. For spatial position, it is often used with 'the back', 'the front', 'the top', or 'the bottom'.

Common Mistakes

The shop is open towards 9 pm.
The shop is open until 9 pm.
'Towards' means 'close to a time', not 'up to and including a specific time'.

4. intended to help achieve or pay for something — for example, saving money toward

4.prepositionB1
Definition

intended to help achieve or pay for something — for example, saving money towards a new car, working towards a promotion, or donating money towards medical research.

Example

Kasia is saving money towards a down payment on a flat near the station.

save + towards + noun (financial goal)

The engineering team has been working hard towards finishing the bridge by next summer.

work + towards + gerund (achievement goal)

Common collocations
  • save towards
  • work towards
  • go towards
  • contribute towards
  • put money towards
Synonyms
  • toward

    American English variant; identical meaning and use

  • for

    simpler and more general; less precise about gradual contribution

  • as a contribution to

    more formal; often used in financial and charity contexts

Grammar Patterns

verb + towards + noun/gerund (purpose or contribution)

Usage Note

Often pairs with verbs of financial contribution ('save', 'put', 'donate', 'go') and verbs of effort ('work', 'strive', 'aim'). After 'towards', use a noun or a gerund (-ing form) — never a bare infinitive.

Common Mistakes

I am saving towards buy a car.
I am saving towards buying a car.
'Towards' is a preposition and must be followed by a noun or gerund, not a bare verb.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: preposition/1

'Towards' and 'to' both indicate direction, but 'to' is used when the destination is actually reached ('He walked to the station' = he arrived), whereas 'towards' only indicates the direction or path without confirming arrival ('He walked towards the station' = heading that way, may or may not have arrived). 'In the direction of' is more formal and precise, often used in written or technical contexts ('The aircraft turned in the direction of the coast'). In American English, 'toward' is more common than 'towards', but the meaning is identical. For everyday spoken English, 'towards/toward' is the natural choice when you want to describe movement without stating that the destination was reached.

towards ↗to ↗in the direction of

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • directly towards
  • straight towards
  • slowly towards
  • quickly towards
  • gradually towards

Phrases

  • in the direction of
  • with regard to
  • as a contribution to
  • on the way to

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

From Old English 'tōweard', a combination of 'tō' (to) and '-weard' (a suffix meaning 'in the direction of', related to 'ward'). The '-s' ending was added later as an adverbial genitive marker, similar to 'afterwards' and 'backwards'. Originally used as an adjective meaning 'future' or 'impending', it gradually developed into a preposition of direction during the Middle English period.