leftward
/ˈleftwəd/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈleftwərd/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈleft.wəd/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈleft.wɚd/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈleft-wərd/ (ame, mw)
leftward — adverb
1. in a direction that goes to the left side, away from straight ahead or from the
in a direction that goes to the left side, away from straight ahead or from the right.
Felix steered the kayak leftward to avoid the rocks near the riverbank.
verb of motion + leftward
The arrow on the map pointed leftward toward the train station.
pointed + leftward (indicating direction)
Antonia tilted her head leftward to read the small print on the bottle.
A cold wind pushed the smoke leftward across the empty playground.
Sven glanced leftward before stepping off the curb into the busy street.
- to the left
more common in everyday speech; 'leftward' sounds slightly formal or literary
- leftwise
rare and old-fashioned; mostly seen in technical writing
- sinistrally
very formal technical term, used in biology and heraldry
- rightward
exact opposite direction
- to the right
everyday alternative used the same way as 'rightward'
文法句型
verb + leftward
move + leftward
用法筆記
Frequently follows verbs of motion (move, steer, drift, glance, tilt). Often paired with directional prepositions like 'toward' or 'across' to extend the path.
常見錯誤
leftward — adjective
- leftwardpositive
- more leftwardcomparative
- most leftwardsuperlative
1. describing motion or facing that is going toward the left side rather than to th
describing motion or facing that is going toward the left side rather than to the right or straight on.
The leftward drift of the boat worried Sivan as the current grew stronger.
leftward + noun (drift/movement)
Tendai studied the leftward swing of the pendulum during the physics lesson.
A sudden leftward jerk of the steering wheel sent the car onto the grass.
Anong noticed the leftward tilt of the old church tower above the village.
- left-moving
plainer paraphrase often used when 'leftward' sounds too formal
- leftbound
rare; mainly in technical or navigational writing
- rightward
describes motion or facing toward the right side
文法句型
leftward + noun
用法筆記
Used attributively (before a noun) almost exclusively; speakers rarely say 'the boat is leftward'. Common with nouns of motion such as 'drift', 'swing', 'tilt', 'jerk', and 'movement'.
常見錯誤
2. describing a change of opinion, policy, or political position that moves closer
describing a change of opinion, policy, or political position that moves closer to left-wing or socialist ideas.
The party's leftward shift surprised many of its older voters in the rural towns.
leftward + noun (political shift)
Megan wrote an article about the leftward turn of student politics on campus.
leftward turn (in politics)
After the election, the cabinet showed a clear leftward drift on health policy.
Ishaan welcomed the leftward move of the union on workers' housing rights.
- left-leaning
describes the current stance; 'leftward' describes the motion toward that stance
- progressive
broader and warmer in tone; refers to the ideas, not the direction of change
- rightward
moving toward right-wing or conservative ideas
文法句型
leftward + noun (shift/turn/move)
用法筆記
Almost always paired with nouns naming a change of position: 'shift', 'turn', 'move', 'drift', 'lurch'. Distinguish from sense 1: here the 'direction' is metaphorical, on a political spectrum, not physical space.