towardsto‧wards /təˈwɔːdz $ tɔːrdz, twɔːrdz/ ●●● S1 W1 especially British English, to‧ward /təˈwɔːd $ tɔːrd, twɔːrd/ especially American English preposition 
He noticed two policemen coming towards him. All the windows face toward the river. He was standing with his back towards me.2producing a result in a process that will produce a particular result: These negotiations are the first step toward reaching an agreement. The crisis continued as Britain drifted towards war.3feeling/attitude your feeling, attitude, or behaviour towards someone or something is how you feel or think about them or how you treat them: Brian’s attitude towards his work has always been very positive. Her parents had been more sympathetic towards her.4help pay for money put, saved, or given towards something is used to pay for it: The money collected will be put towards repairing the church roof.5before just before a particular time: Toward the end of the afternoon it began to rain.6near near a particular place: Uncle Dick and Aunt Mavis live at High Burnton out towards the coast.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Glancing towards me, he started to laugh.
- If you walk along the river bank towards Skipton you come to a bridge.
Longman Language Activatortowards
also toward American moving, looking, or pointing in a particular direction: · If you walk along the river bank towards Skipton you come to a bridge.· She stood with her back toward the window.· Glancing towards me, he started to laugh.· He looked toward the ceiling of his tiny apartment.· The plane banked and turned toward the mountains.slide/push/throw etc something towards somebody/something: · He slid the plate of cookies toward her.
towards a place or object, but not moving, looking, or pointing directly at it: · Tyler strode off in the direction of Foxwood.· People were making a move in the direction of the dining room.in somebody's direction: · I glanced in her direction and our eyes met.in the general direction of something (=generally towards): · He waved a hand in the general direction of the bar. "Another drink?"
: set off/make/head for to start to go towards a particular place, especially in a determined way: · We set off for Boston at daybreak.· When it started to rain we headed for the trees as fast as we could.· It's getting dark -- we'd better make for home.
: London/Paris/north/east etc bound towards a particular place or direction - use this especially about planes, trains, cars etc and the direction in which a road, railway track etc is going in: · The London bound train leaves at 22.00 hours.· There have been several delays to southbound rail services.· We were travelling westbound on Interstate 90.· All inward bound flights are being cancelled due to heavy fog.
if you look, smile, wave, throw something etc at someone, you look, smile etc in their direction: · The children stared at the eerie old house.· Nick looked back and grinned at her.· I threw the ball at Joe and hit him on the back of the neck.
to go or come towards someone or something also go toward American to go away from where you are towards a particular place: · Go towards the church and take the first turning on your left.· He watched her going toward West End Avenue.
also come toward American to come to where you are from a particular direction: · He looked up to see two policemen coming towards him.· As we came toward the house, the door flew open and out came Polly.
also head toward American to move in the direction of something or someone, especially directly or in a determined way: · The bus was heading towards the Friedrich-Strasse railway station.· They saw the patrol boat turn and head towards them.
to move quickly towards somewhere, especially so that you can do something when you get there: · As he made for the door he tripped and fell heavily.· We headed for the nearest island to try and repair our boat.
to walk directly to a place or person as quickly as possible, especially because there is something you want there or someone you want to talk to: · I made a beeline for the bar and ordered myself a double whisky.· Jeff made a beeline for a table where two pretty Russian girls were sitting.
written to move towards someone or something, especially in order to attack them: · In May 1681 a force of about 2500 troops advanced on Mondovi.· He moved towards her as though he was advancing on a dangerous animal.
written to come towards a particular person or place: · As they approached the wood, a deer ran out of the trees.· We walked silently, so they would not hear us approach.
to go towards someone because you want to speak to them to walk towards someone and stop next to them, especially because you want to say something: · An old guy come up to me in the street and asked for a dime for coffee.· Total strangers used to come up to me and tell me how much they'd enjoyed the show.
to walk towards someone you do not know, especially so that you can ask them something: · A tourist approached us and asked us the way to the theatre.· Several people approached Fleming as he left the hall.· She was approached by a waiter.
to move quietly towards someone, trying not to be noticed, so that they do not realize you are there until you are next to them: · I was sitting in the back row, when Harry sidled up and sat down next to me.sidle up to: · He sidled up to me without a word and slipped a note in my pocket.
to behave towards someone in a particular way to behave towards someone or deal with someone in a particular way: treat somebody well/badly: · Amy's treated him really badly - no wonder he's upset.treat somebody like somebody/something: · I'm sick of my parents treating me like a child.treat somebody like dirt (=treat someone very badly): · I don't know what she sees in him - he treats her like dirt.treat somebody with respect/contempt/kindness etc: · Douglas was treated with much more respect after his promotion.treat somebody with kid gloves (=be very careful how you deal with someone so that they do not become upset, angry etc.): · After my nervous breakdown, everyone kept treating me with kid gloves.
British /toward American to behave in a particular way when you are with someone: · Sometimes he behaves very strangely towards me.
especially British to treat someone in a particular way in order to avoid problems and to get them to do what you want: · I knew I would have to be very careful how I handled Odette - she was so emotional.· Francis is a natural leader. He's very good at handling people.
to treat someone in a particular way, especially someone who has a problem or someone who has behaved very badly: · There's only one way to deal with naughty children and that's to be strict with them.· The police received training in how to deal with families of crime victims.· I try to deal with everyone in an honest, ethical way.
the way you treat someone else the way that a person, organization etc treats someone: · Harper described the treatment he had received in prison.treatment of: · We're shocked by the government's treatment of young homeless people.special/preferential treatment (=when one person is treated better than everyone else): · Although I was the boss's daughter, I didn't get preferential treatment.
British /behavior toward somebody American the way in which one person behaves towards someone else: · Your behaviour towards Lilly was disgusting.· I was confused by her behavior toward me - one minute she was cold and unfriendly, the next she was all smiles.
when several people give some of the total money needed to give some of the money that is needed to pay for something: contribute to: · I'd like to thank all of you who contributed to the hospital appeal.contribute something to/towards something: · My parents said they would contribute something towards the cost of my driving lessons.
to give an amount of money that when added to money given by other people, can be used to pay for something useful: · If we all make a contribution, we'll be able to get him something really nice.make a contribution to/towards: · Several local businesses have made contributions towards our new school bus.
to collect money from each of the people in a group, especially in order to buy something for someone: · They had a collection at the bar and they raised over $80.have a collection for: · We're having a collection for Jane's birthday present.
informal if everyone in a group chips in an amount of money, they each give an amount so that they can pay for something together: · We all chipped in to pay for the food and wine.· When Mona retired, all her co-workers chipped in and bought her a lovely dinner service. chip in with: · Electronics firm Compol chipped in with over $20,000.
British /give toward something American to give part of the money needed to pay for something: pay/give something towards something: · I don't mind paying something towards Samantha's wedding present.· She feels it's partly her fault the TV's broken, so she's ready to pay $50 toward a new one.pay/give towards something: · Although students receive government grants, parents are still expected to pay towards living costs.
British informal if a group of people have a whip-round , everyone in the group immediately gives some money in order to buy something with the total amount that is collected: · It's Sally's birthday tomorrow. We'd better have a whip-round so we can get her a present.
a person or group of people you play against to use your finger to show which person or thing you mean: · Children are taught that it's rude to point.point at: · "Look," she said, pointing at a vase in a shop window.· The teacher pointed at Marcus and told him to come to the front of the class.point to/ towards: · "That's Margo's bouquet, on the table.'' Mother pointed to a massive bunch of spring flowers.point your finger at: · Don't point your finger at me.
to show someone the person or thing you mean in a more polite way than pointing, for example by looking at them or moving your head slightly: · "Shall we go in here?" Calvin indicated the cafe.· "I'd like you to meet Todd," he said, indicating a tall man standing next to him.
to point towards a person or thing by holding out your hand towards them: · "I'm not going out in this weather," said Lydia, gesturing at the heavy rain outside.· "Do you see all these people here?" She gestured towards the hospital corridor.
to show someone a person or thing, especially one that they are interested to know about, by pointing: point out somebody/something: · John pointed out the building where he worked.point somebody/something out: · She wanted to know which was my house, so I pointed it out to her as we drove past.point out somebody/something to somebody: · I asked him to point out the new headteacher to me at the party.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES Your contributions will go a long way towards helping children in need (=will help to reach a goal).
· Political tensions were moving towards a climax.
(=do something to show that you have some respect for someone or something)· The drinks industry has made a gesture towards reducing alcohol misuse by setting up a research group.
· We are all working towards similar goals.
(=gradually achieve it over a period of time)· The country was slowly moving towards independence.
Your contributions will go a long way towards helping children in need (=will help to reach a goal).· Marco felt an intense loyalty to his native country.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► tend towards something
1direction used to say that someone or something moves, looks, faces etc in the direction of someone or something: - He said Bonn was favourably disposed to such a conference if it were well prepared.
- I think maybe she had seen the television programmes and was favourably disposed.
- It is expected that he will be favourably disposed towards the report's proposals.
- Jackson was well disposed towards journalists of left-wing sympathies.
- The best that can be hoped for, on their behalf, is that human beings are kindly disposed towards them.
- The majority were favourably disposed, some were ambivalent and a few highly critical of the messages and their style.
- All the computers we consider are general-purpose, at least in theory, although they may be oriented towards particular application areas.
- Attention will be oriented to the imagery and assumptions about reproductive physiology on which methods of contraception and their evaluation are based.
- First we were oriented towards the orientation building.
- In contrast, pragmatic parties hold more flexible goals and are oriented to moderate or incremental policy change.
- Management involvement in internal operations and problems must be oriented to the environment, its opportunities and demands.
- On the one hand, the questions are oriented towards exposing the discipline, bringing into the open its hidden character.
- The former are oriented to specialized resources while the latter focus on outputs.
- This project is oriented towards education.
- But Mala had gone some way towards the opposite.
- Funding for public works, including community-based arts projects, went some way towards alleviating mass unemployment.
- However, the Commission has recently issued a notice which goes some way towards defining the elements of them.
- It is proposed that hypertext systems go some way towards providing students with alternative structures for organizing their knowledge of electronic publishing.
- Most of the old great Elf towns date from this period and it goes some way towards accounting for their remoteness.
- The theory also goes some way towards answering the question of why people speak indirectly.
- This goes some way towards typing the organism causing the disease.
- Will he go some way towards reviewing the process?
- And Monday's game will go a long way towards determining Wright's future.
- For it was he who arranged the finance which went a long way towards putting the station on the air.
- Friedman's statement of the natural rate hypothesis went a long way towards reconciling such evidence with basic classical theory.
- In doing so it can go a long way towards lifting the depression which has afflicted too many teachers in recent years.
- Schema theory can go a long way towards explaining the sender's choice and arrangement of information in communication.
- The new, improved materials available have gone a long way towards extending the lifespan of today's flat roof.
- This decision goes a long way towards demonstrating the untenability of the marital-rape exemption in modern times.
- This will also go a long way towards preventing your neighbour complaining about the noise you make.
He noticed two policemen coming towards him. All the windows face toward the river. He was standing with his back towards me.2producing a result in a process that will produce a particular result: These negotiations are the first step toward reaching an agreement. The crisis continued as Britain drifted towards war.3feeling/attitude your feeling, attitude, or behaviour towards someone or something is how you feel or think about them or how you treat them: Brian’s attitude towards his work has always been very positive. Her parents had been more sympathetic towards her.4help pay for money put, saved, or given towards something is used to pay for it: The money collected will be put towards repairing the church roof.5before just before a particular time: Toward the end of the afternoon it began to rain.6near near a particular place: Uncle Dick and Aunt Mavis live at High Burnton out towards the coast.