backwater

noun
UK: /ˈbækwɔːtər/
US: /ˈbækwɔːtər/

  1. A place that is far away from cities and where modern ideas are slow to arrive.

    1. The town is a quiet backwater. [ ] [ ]
    2. He grew up in a rural backwater, far from any cultural opportunities. [ ] [ ]

  2. A part of a river where the water does not flow.

    1. The boat drifted into a still backwater. [ ] [ ]
    2. We found a quiet backwater to anchor our boat for the night. [ ] [ ]

  3. A situation in which no progress is being made.

    1. The project became a bureaucratic backwater. [ ] [ ]
    2. His career had become a backwater after the merger, with no prospects for advancement. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

boondocks hinterland backwoods
backwater transitive-verb

  1. To cause to be or remain in a backward or isolated condition.

    1. The region was backwatered by poor internet access. [ ] [ ]
    2. Lack of investment backwatered the community, preventing progress. [ ] [ ]
backwater adjective

  1. Isolated or stagnant.

    1. It is a backwater town. [ ] [ ]
    2. The project became a backwater issue, ignored by most of the team. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "backwater" in English means: A place that is far away from cities and where modern ideas are slow to arrive., A part of a river where the water does not flow., A situation in which no progress is being made..

The phonetic transcription of "backwater" is /ˈbækwɔːtər/ in British English and /ˈbækwɔːtər/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "backwater": boondocks, hinterland, backwoods.

Example usage of "backwater": "The town is a quiet backwater.". More examples on the page.