towards
gb/təwˈɔɹdz/ us/təwˈɔɹdz/
A2
Anglais
~ 400
Sens
0 sens
preposition
A2
relation
1
in the direction of
Moving in the direction of a person, place, or thing.
Schéma d’usage :
towards [someone/something]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'towards' with 'to'; 'towards' focuses on direction, not necessarily arrival.
Synonymes
to (Used for direction, though 'towards' often implies movement approaching but not necessarily reaching.)
Antonymes
away from (Indicates movement in the opposite direction.)
Collocations
walk towards
|move towards
|drive towards
|head towards
|run towards
Thèmes
daily life
|travel
|spatial relations
|space
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- She walked towards the station in the rain.
- The cat ran towards the door when it heard a noise.
- He drove towards the city center during rush hour.
- The ship sailed towards the horizon.
- They moved towards the sound of music.
Exemples pédagogiques
- I walk towards my school.
- He runs towards the park.
- We go towards the bus stop.
- The dog comes towards me.
- She drives towards the city.
preposition
B1
relation
2
concerning or relating to
About or having to do with someone or something.
Schéma d’usage :
towards [someone/something]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may confuse this with physical direction; here it means 'about' or 'in relation to'.
Synonymes
regarding ('Regarding' is more formal and often used in written contexts.)
Antonymes
unrelated to (Indicates no connection or relation.)
Collocations
attitude towards
|policy towards
|feelings towards
|approach towards
Thèmes
communication
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- His attitude towards work is very positive.
- They discussed the government's policy towards education.
- I have mixed feelings towards this decision.
- The company's approach towards customer service has improved.
- Her kindness towards strangers is admirable.
Exemples pédagogiques
- I have a good feeling towards my teacher.
- His attitude towards learning is good.
- We talk about our plan towards the project.
- She is kind towards animals.
- They have a plan towards safety.
preposition
B1
relation
3
close to a time or state
Near a time, place, or condition.
Schéma d’usage :
towards [time/place/state]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may confuse this with exact times; it means 'near that time', not exactly at it.
Synonymes
near ('Near' can refer to time or space but does not imply movement.)
Antonymes
far from (Indicates much distance in time or space.)
Collocations
towards evening
|towards the end
|towards midnight
Thèmes
time
|spatial relations
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- Towards evening, the sky turned red.
- We met towards the end of the conference.
- The weather improved towards summer.
- She grew more confident towards the end of her speech.
- He arrived towards midnight.
Exemples pédagogiques
- It rains towards evening.
- We leave towards night.
- He comes home towards morning.
- The movie ends towards midnight.
- I sleep towards morning.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
towards
API
GB/təwˈɔɹdz/
US/təwˈɔɹdz/
Syllabes et accentuation
to - wards (2 syllabes)
Stress on 2nd syllable (wards)
Formes du mot
Noun
- Base: towards
- Plural: towardses
Famille de mots
Forms
towardses
noun
Core family
toward
preposition A1
Expressions
a step towards
1/ə stˈɛp təwˈɔɹdz/
fixed phrase
an action moving closer to a goal
An action that helps you get closer to your goal.
Exemples
- This agreement is a step towards peace.
- Learning basic words is a step towards speaking English well.
towards a goal
1/təwˈɔɹdz ə ɡˈoʊl/
fixed phrase
in the direction of a goal
Trying to reach a goal or result.
Exemples
- All her work is towards a goal of becoming a doctor.
- They are working hard towards a goal of zero waste.
towards the end
1/təwˈɔɹdz ðə ˈɛnd/
fixed phrase
near the final part
Near the last part of something.
Exemples
- Towards the end of the movie, there was a big surprise.
- The team played better towards the end of the season.