"ass-backwards" meaning in English

See ass-backwards in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

Audio: en-au-ass-backwards.ogg [Australia] Forms: more ass-backwards [comparative], most ass-backwards [superlative]
Etymology: Recorded in the US in the 1930s. From ass + backwards Etymology templates: {{compound|en|ass|backwards}} ass + backwards Head templates: {{en-adj}} ass-backwards (comparative more ass-backwards, superlative most ass-backwards)
  1. (colloquial) Oriented backwards, particularly after a mishap. Tags: colloquial
    Sense id: en-ass-backwards-en-adj-D39k5MMC
  2. (idiomatic, colloquial) Hopelessly misguided; contrary to what is normal, expected, or logical; having taken the utterly wrong choice. Tags: colloquial, idiomatic
    Sense id: en-ass-backwards-en-adj-05HV7IS6 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 8 48 2 42
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: ass backwards [alternative], ass-backward, ass backward, back-asswards, bass-ackwards

Adverb

Audio: en-au-ass-backwards.ogg [Australia]
Etymology: Recorded in the US in the 1930s. From ass + backwards Etymology templates: {{compound|en|ass|backwards}} ass + backwards Head templates: {{en-adv|-}} ass-backwards (not comparable)
  1. (colloquial) Moving backwards, that is, rear end first. Tags: colloquial, not-comparable Translations (moving backwards, that is, rear end first): perse edellä (Finnish), en arrière (French), arschlings [dialectal] (German), testacoda (Italian), od dupy strony (Polish), за́дом наперёд (zádom naperjód) (Russian), ра́ком (rákom) (Russian), bakåt (Swedish), baklänges (Swedish)
    Sense id: en-ass-backwards-en-adv-nORF1TRv Disambiguation of 'moving backwards, that is, rear end first': 98 2
  2. (idiomatic, colloquial) In a hopelessly misguided manner; in a manner contrary to what is normal, expected, or logical. Tags: colloquial, idiomatic, not-comparable Translations (in a hopelessly misguided manner): päin persettä (Finnish), alla cazzo di cane (Italian), alla carlona (Italian), alla meglio (Italian), alla bell’e meglio (Italian), od dupy strony (Polish), ши́ворот-навы́ворот (šívorot-navývorot) (Russian), че́рез жопу (čérez žopu) [vulgar] (Russian), ра́ком (rákom) [vulgar] (Russian), a tuertas (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-ass-backwards-en-adv-q4tONCJn Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 8 48 2 42 Disambiguation of 'in a hopelessly misguided manner': 2 98
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: ass backwards [alternative], ass-backward, ass backward, back-asswards, bass-ackwards Related terms: put the cart before the horse, preposterous

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for ass-backwards meaning in English (6.8kB)

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ass",
        "3": "backwards"
      },
      "expansion": "ass + backwards",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Recorded in the US in the 1930s. From ass + backwards",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more ass-backwards",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most ass-backwards",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "ass-backwards (comparative more ass-backwards, superlative most ass-backwards)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The car spun out of control and I ended up ass-backwards in a ditch.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Oriented backwards, particularly after a mishap."
      ],
      "id": "en-ass-backwards-en-adj-D39k5MMC",
      "links": [
        [
          "backwards",
          "backwards"
        ],
        [
          "mishap",
          "mishap"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(colloquial) Oriented backwards, particularly after a mishap."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "colloquial"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "8 48 2 42",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "No wonder it doesn't work. The whole design is ass-backwards.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Hopelessly misguided; contrary to what is normal, expected, or logical; having taken the utterly wrong choice."
      ],
      "id": "en-ass-backwards-en-adj-05HV7IS6",
      "links": [
        [
          "misguided",
          "misguided"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, colloquial) Hopelessly misguided; contrary to what is normal, expected, or logical; having taken the utterly wrong choice."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "colloquial",
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-ass-backwards.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/11/En-au-ass-backwards.ogg/En-au-ass-backwards.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/En-au-ass-backwards.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ],
      "word": "ass backwards"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "ass-backward"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "ass backward"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "back-asswards"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "bass-ackwards"
    }
  ],
  "word": "ass-backwards"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ass",
        "3": "backwards"
      },
      "expansion": "ass + backwards",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Recorded in the US in the 1930s. From ass + backwards",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "ass-backwards (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adv"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adv",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "put the cart before the horse"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "preposterous"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "Moving backwards, that is, rear end first."
      ],
      "id": "en-ass-backwards-en-adv-nORF1TRv",
      "links": [
        [
          "rear end",
          "rear end"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(colloquial) Moving backwards, that is, rear end first."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "colloquial",
        "not-comparable"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "moving backwards, that is, rear end first",
          "word": "perse edellä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "moving backwards, that is, rear end first",
          "word": "en arrière"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "moving backwards, that is, rear end first",
          "tags": [
            "dialectal"
          ],
          "word": "arschlings"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "moving backwards, that is, rear end first",
          "word": "testacoda"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "moving backwards, that is, rear end first",
          "word": "od dupy strony"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "zádom naperjód",
          "sense": "moving backwards, that is, rear end first",
          "word": "за́дом наперёд"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "rákom",
          "sense": "moving backwards, that is, rear end first",
          "word": "ра́ком"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "moving backwards, that is, rear end first",
          "word": "bakåt"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "moving backwards, that is, rear end first",
          "word": "baklänges"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "8 48 2 42",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "They did the whole design ass-backwards. No wonder it doesn't work.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "In a hopelessly misguided manner; in a manner contrary to what is normal, expected, or logical."
      ],
      "id": "en-ass-backwards-en-adv-q4tONCJn",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, colloquial) In a hopelessly misguided manner; in a manner contrary to what is normal, expected, or logical."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "colloquial",
        "idiomatic",
        "not-comparable"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "in a hopelessly misguided manner",
          "word": "päin persettä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "in a hopelessly misguided manner",
          "word": "alla cazzo di cane"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "in a hopelessly misguided manner",
          "word": "alla carlona"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "in a hopelessly misguided manner",
          "word": "alla meglio"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "in a hopelessly misguided manner",
          "word": "alla bell’e meglio"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "in a hopelessly misguided manner",
          "word": "od dupy strony"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "šívorot-navývorot",
          "sense": "in a hopelessly misguided manner",
          "word": "ши́ворот-навы́ворот"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "čérez žopu",
          "sense": "in a hopelessly misguided manner",
          "tags": [
            "vulgar"
          ],
          "word": "че́рез жопу"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "rákom",
          "sense": "in a hopelessly misguided manner",
          "tags": [
            "vulgar"
          ],
          "word": "ра́ком"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "in a hopelessly misguided manner",
          "word": "a tuertas"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-ass-backwards.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/11/En-au-ass-backwards.ogg/En-au-ass-backwards.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/En-au-ass-backwards.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ],
      "word": "ass backwards"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "ass-backward"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "ass backward"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "back-asswards"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "bass-ackwards"
    }
  ],
  "word": "ass-backwards"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English adverbs",
    "English compound terms",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English uncomparable adverbs"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ass",
        "3": "backwards"
      },
      "expansion": "ass + backwards",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Recorded in the US in the 1930s. From ass + backwards",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more ass-backwards",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most ass-backwards",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "ass-backwards (comparative more ass-backwards, superlative most ass-backwards)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English colloquialisms",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The car spun out of control and I ended up ass-backwards in a ditch.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Oriented backwards, particularly after a mishap."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "backwards",
          "backwards"
        ],
        [
          "mishap",
          "mishap"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(colloquial) Oriented backwards, particularly after a mishap."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "colloquial"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English colloquialisms",
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "No wonder it doesn't work. The whole design is ass-backwards.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Hopelessly misguided; contrary to what is normal, expected, or logical; having taken the utterly wrong choice."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "misguided",
          "misguided"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, colloquial) Hopelessly misguided; contrary to what is normal, expected, or logical; having taken the utterly wrong choice."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "colloquial",
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-ass-backwards.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/11/En-au-ass-backwards.ogg/En-au-ass-backwards.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/En-au-ass-backwards.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ],
      "word": "ass backwards"
    },
    {
      "word": "ass-backward"
    },
    {
      "word": "ass backward"
    },
    {
      "word": "back-asswards"
    },
    {
      "word": "bass-ackwards"
    }
  ],
  "word": "ass-backwards"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English adverbs",
    "English compound terms",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English uncomparable adverbs"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ass",
        "3": "backwards"
      },
      "expansion": "ass + backwards",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Recorded in the US in the 1930s. From ass + backwards",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "ass-backwards (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adv"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adv",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "put the cart before the horse"
    },
    {
      "word": "preposterous"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English colloquialisms"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Moving backwards, that is, rear end first."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "rear end",
          "rear end"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(colloquial) Moving backwards, that is, rear end first."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "colloquial",
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English colloquialisms",
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "They did the whole design ass-backwards. No wonder it doesn't work.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "In a hopelessly misguided manner; in a manner contrary to what is normal, expected, or logical."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, colloquial) In a hopelessly misguided manner; in a manner contrary to what is normal, expected, or logical."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "colloquial",
        "idiomatic",
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-ass-backwards.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/11/En-au-ass-backwards.ogg/En-au-ass-backwards.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/En-au-ass-backwards.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ],
      "word": "ass backwards"
    },
    {
      "word": "ass-backward"
    },
    {
      "word": "ass backward"
    },
    {
      "word": "back-asswards"
    },
    {
      "word": "bass-ackwards"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "moving backwards, that is, rear end first",
      "word": "perse edellä"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "moving backwards, that is, rear end first",
      "word": "en arrière"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "moving backwards, that is, rear end first",
      "tags": [
        "dialectal"
      ],
      "word": "arschlings"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "moving backwards, that is, rear end first",
      "word": "testacoda"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "moving backwards, that is, rear end first",
      "word": "od dupy strony"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "zádom naperjód",
      "sense": "moving backwards, that is, rear end first",
      "word": "за́дом наперёд"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "rákom",
      "sense": "moving backwards, that is, rear end first",
      "word": "ра́ком"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "moving backwards, that is, rear end first",
      "word": "bakåt"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "moving backwards, that is, rear end first",
      "word": "baklänges"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "in a hopelessly misguided manner",
      "word": "päin persettä"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "in a hopelessly misguided manner",
      "word": "alla cazzo di cane"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "in a hopelessly misguided manner",
      "word": "alla carlona"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "in a hopelessly misguided manner",
      "word": "alla meglio"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "in a hopelessly misguided manner",
      "word": "alla bell’e meglio"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "in a hopelessly misguided manner",
      "word": "od dupy strony"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "šívorot-navývorot",
      "sense": "in a hopelessly misguided manner",
      "word": "ши́ворот-навы́ворот"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "čérez žopu",
      "sense": "in a hopelessly misguided manner",
      "tags": [
        "vulgar"
      ],
      "word": "че́рез жопу"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "rákom",
      "sense": "in a hopelessly misguided manner",
      "tags": [
        "vulgar"
      ],
      "word": "ра́ком"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "in a hopelessly misguided manner",
      "word": "a tuertas"
    }
  ],
  "word": "ass-backwards"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-22 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (fc4f0c7 and c937495). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.