backwater
backwater Lexical Profile
backwater Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An isolated or peaceful place, region, or field of activity where little progress, change, or major event occurs.
"Once considered an academic backwater, the study of artificial intelligence now attracts billions in funding."
A part of a river or body of water where the water is stagnant or reaches little to no current, often fed by a main stream or held back by a dam or tide.
"Herons waded quietly through the shallow backwaters of the river in search of small fish."
• adjective
Isolated, remote, and unaffected by outside progress, new ideas, or cultural developments.
"The railway transformed the sleepy backwater village into a bustling regional hub."
• verb
To row or paddle backward in order to slow down, stop, or reverse the motion of a boat.
"The canoeist had to backwater quickly to avoid colliding with the submerged log."
• Rhymes for backwater
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in the mid-17th century as a compound of 'back' and 'water', originally referring to water held back by a dam or obstruction before acquiring its figurative sense of an isolated or stagnant place in the mid-19th century.