inward
part of speech
adjective (inward); adverb (inward, also inwards)
meaning for a pupil
1) Inward means going towards the inside or the centre («the door opens inward»). tree →
2) Inward also means inside your mind or feelings and not shown to others («inward fear»). tree →
3) Inward can also mean hidden deep inside something, not obvious on the surface. tree →
sense in the lessons
In science and maths it describes direction (forces pulling inward, arrows pointing inward, a dent bending inward). In stories it tells the reader about a character's hidden thoughts: «inward smile», «inward sigh». Opposite: outward. Phrases: «turn inward», «inward and outward».
examples
- The door opens inward, so pull it towards you. tree →
- The walls of the tent bent inward in the wind. tree →
- She gave an inward sigh but smiled politely. tree →
- His toes point inward when he walks. tree →
- Gravity pulls objects inward towards the centre of the Earth. tree →
- He felt an inward fear, though he looked calm. tree →
- The petals curl inward at night. tree →
- Breathe in and feel your tummy move inward. tree →
- Soon the inward meaning of it leaked out, and the great heart of the public was touched. tree →
note
«Inwards» (with s) is common in British English as an adverb; American English prefers «inward». As an adjective before a noun use «inward» («an inward feeling»). Opposite: «outward(s)». Related: «inwardly».
In the corpora
- Turned inward, over the counter, it is out of the way.
- Pot and pan handles should be turned inward so nobody can knock or grab them.
- The giant planets probably moved their orbits after they formed, scattering many small icy bodies inward and outward.
- Hobs and pans stay hot long after they are switched off, so pan handles are turned inward and nobody reaches over a hob.
- And he washed the inwards and the legs, and made them smoke upon the burnt-offering on the altar.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «inward» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.