outward
gb/ˈaʊtwɚd/ us/ˈaʊtwɚd/
B1
English
~ 3400
Senses
0 senses
adverb
B1
relation
1
Away from the center or inside
Moving away from the middle or the inside toward the outside.
Usage pattern:
to move outward
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'outward' with 'outside'; 'outward' describes direction or movement, not a location.
Synonyms
outwards (An alternative form with the same meaning, more common in British English.)
Antonyms
inward (Describes movement toward the center or inside, opposite of 'outward'.)
Collocations
move outward
|spread outward
|push outward
|face outward
Themes
movement
|space
|directions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The ripples spread outward from the stone.
- She turned her gaze outward toward the horizon.
- The door opens outward into the garden.
- The roots grow outward in search of water.
Learner examples
- The car moved outward from the city.
- He looked outward at the sea.
- The circle grew outward slowly.
- The door swings outward.
adjective
B2
property
2
Relating to outside appearance
About how something looks on the outside, not what it is like inside.
Usage pattern:
[adjective] appearance/behavior/signs
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with 'outside'; here it refers to appearance, not location.
Synonyms
external (Focuses on being physically on the outside, often more formal.)
Antonyms
inner (Refers to the inside part or nature, opposite of 'outward' in this sense.)
Collocations
outward appearance
|outward signs
|outward form
Themes
appearance
|perception
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Despite his outward calm, he was very nervous.
- The building's outward design is modern and sleek.
- Her outward beauty hid her sadness.
- There were no outward signs of damage.
Learner examples
- She had an outward smile but was sad.
- The house has a nice outward look.
- His outward clothes were clean.
- There are no outward marks on the box.
adjective
B2
property
3
Directed toward the outside
Pointing toward the outside or away from the middle.
Usage pattern:
[adjective] facing/direction/movement
Synonyms
external-facing (Specifically describes something oriented toward the outside surface.)
Antonyms
inward-facing (Directed toward the inside, opposite orientation.)
Collocations
outward facing
|outward bound
|outward direction
Themes
movement
|directions
|space
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The shop has large outward-facing windows.
- They began their outward journey early in the morning.
- The soldiers stood in an outward formation around the camp.
Learner examples
- The seats are in an outward line.
- We took an outward trip to the island.
- The camera is in an outward position.
adverb
B1
relation
4
Toward foreign destinations
Going to another country or place far from home.
Usage pattern:
travel/ship [something] outward
Synonyms
departing (Emphasizes leaving a starting point rather than directionality)
Antonyms
returning (Coming back to the starting point, opposite of 'outward' in travel context)
Collocations
outward flight
|outward journey
|outward shipment
Themes
travel
|business
|transportation
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- We booked our outward flight for Monday morning.
- The ship's outward voyage lasted three weeks.
- He filled in his details for both the outward and return trips.
Learner examples
- Our outward bus left at 9 a.m.
- The outward trip took two hours.
- I will take an outward train to Paris.
Grammar
Dictionary form
outward
IPA
GB/ˈaʊtwɚd/
US/ˈaʊtwɚd/
Syllables & stress
out - ward (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (out)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: outward
Word family
Expressions
outward appearance
1/ˈaʊtwɚd əpˈɪɹəns/
fixed phrase
Visible external features
How something looks on the outside.
Examples
- Judging by his outward appearance, you'd think he was confident.
- Outward appearances can be deceiving.
outward bound
1/ˈaʊtwɚd bˈaʊnd/
fixed phrase
Traveling away from origin
Going away from where you started, especially at the start of a journey.
Examples
- The ship was outward bound for Australia when we boarded.
- We waved goodbye to the outward bound train.
outward journey
1/ˈaʊtwɚd d͡ʒˈɚni/
fixed phrase
First leg of travel away from origin
The part of a trip when you go away from home at the start.
Examples
- Our outward journey took six hours by train.
- We planned some stops during our outward journey.