backwoods
backwoods Lexical Profile
backwoods Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
North American Relating to, situated in, or characteristic of remote, heavily forested, or sparsely populated rural areas.
"The hikers followed an old backwoods trail that had not been maintained in decades."
North American Unsophisticated, rustic, or uncultured, as if originating from an isolated frontier region.
"Despite his humble backwoods upbringing, he became a remarkably eloquent statesman."
• noun
North American Remote, uncleared forests or sparsely inhabited rural regions far from urban centers.
"They built a small log cabin deep in the backwoods of Maine to escape city life."
A remote, stagnant, or culturally isolated place or state that is untouched by modern progress or mainstream activity.
"For years, the department remained an academic backwoods with minimal research funding."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in American English in the mid-18th century as a compound of 'back' (meaning remote or inland) and 'woods', originally referring to the uncleared forested frontier west of the colonial coastal settlements.