astern

IPA/əˈstɜːn/
IPA/əˈstɜːrn/

astern — adverb

1. positioned behind a vessel in the water; also describing a boat or ship that mov

1.副詞B2
釋義

positioned behind a vessel in the water; also describing a boat or ship that moves backward so its rear section pushes through the water first.

例句

The captain looked astern and saw the island growing smaller on the horizon.

astern as location: behind the ship

Ritu started the engine and moved the boat astern away from the crowded dock.

move + astern for backward motion

同義詞
  • aft

    means 'toward the back of a ship,' not 'behind the ship'; aft stays inside the vessel, astern can mean outside it.

  • backward

    general term not limited to ships; astern specifically describes motion on water.

  • behind

    less specific; astern adds a nautical tone and implies orientation to a vessel.

反義詞
  • ahead

    in front of a ship — the opposite of behind-it.

  • forward

    toward the front of a vessel — the opposite of toward the rear.

文法句型

verb + astern

astern + at end of clause

用法筆記

Specialized nautical adverb. Used almost exclusively for ships and boats in water, not for cars, trains, or airplanes in everyday contexts. The command 'full astern' is standard on vessels to order reverse motion at maximum power.

常見錯誤

❌The boat moved to the astern.
✅The boat moved astern.
💡astern is an adverb, not a noun; do not use a preposition like 'to the' before it.
❌The car reversed astern.
✅The car reversed backward.
💡astern is not used for land vehicles in everyday English.