towardsとは 意味・読み方・使い方

発音

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /təˈwɔːdz/, [tʰə̥ˈwɔːdz]

  (traditional) IPA: /ˈtɔːdz/

• (General American) IPA: /tʊˈwɔɹdz/, /ˈtɔɹdz/, /ˈtoʊɚdz/, [tʰə̥ˈwɔɹ̠d̠z], [tʰw̥ɔɹ̠d̠z]
• (New Zealand) IPA: /tɘˈwoːdz/, [tʰɘ̥ˈwoːdz], [tʰw̥oːdz]
• (Indic) IPA: /ˈʈʊwə(r)ɖs/
• 韻: -ɔː(ɹ)dz, -oːdz
• ハイフネーション: to‧wards

前置詞

towards

1. Alternative form of toward.

   Synonym: toward

   Antonyms: fromward, fromwards

   • 1835, Sir John Ross, Sir James Clark Ross, Narrative of a Second Voyage in Search of a North-west Passage …, Volume 1, pages 284–5:

     Towards the following morning, the thermometer fell to 5°; and at daylight, there was not an atom of water to be seen in any direction.

   • 1960 December, Voyageur, “The Mountain Railways of the Bernese Oberland”, in Trains Illustrated, page 752:

     To the left towers the Jungfrau, with the train heading directly towards it.

   • 2011 October 1, Phil McNulty, “Everton 0-2 Liverpool”, in BBC Sport:

     But with Goodison Park openly directing its full hostility towards Atkinson, Liverpool went ahead when Carroll turned in his first Premier League goal of the season after 70 minutes.

   • 2025 November 12, Philip Haigh, “High praise for rail staff's courage and clear thinking”, in RAIL, number 1048, page 50:

     Huntingdon's ferocity makes the reaction of staff all the more brave. To move towards danger when others are fleeing is the definition of bravery in my book. To place yourself in danger to protect others.

使用する際の注意点

• Although some have tried to discern a semantic distinction between the words toward and towards, the only difference in practice is dialectal. Toward is more common in American English and towards is more common in British English, though each form may be found in both varieties.

派生語

参考

• See Adverbial genitive

副詞

towards (not comparable)

1. In the direction of something (indicated by context).
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

     Thus as he spake, lo far away they spyde / A varlet running towards hastily […]

形容詞

towards (not comparable)

1. Near; at hand; in state of preparation; toward.
   • c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene v]:

     We have a trifling foolish banquet towards.