ENGLISH
REFERENCE

homeward

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈhoʊmwɝd// UK //hˈəʊmwəd// home·ward

adj. moving or going toward your home. You use this to describe a journey that is ending because you are almost back.

adj. moving or directed toward one's home. Often used to describe a journey or a person's return to their place of residence.


SIMPLE

The tired travelers looked homeward as the sun set.

CONTEXTUAL

After a long day at the office, she felt a sense of relief as she took the homeward journey on the train.

COMPLEX

The homeward path through the dense forest was illuminated by the fading light, casting long shadows that seemed to stretch the distance between the camp and the village.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

From Middle English homward, from Old English hāmweard, from Proto-Germanic *haimawarda, equivalent to home + -ward. Cognate with Dutch heimwaarts, German heimwärts (“homeward”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English homward, from the adverb (see above).

© 2026 English Reference