backwatered
|back-wat-ered|
🇺🇸
/ˈbækˌwɔtər/
🇬🇧
/ˈbæk.wɔː.tər/
(backwater)
stagnant place
Etymology
'backwatered' (as formed from 'backwater') originates from English, specifically the combination of the words 'back' and 'water', where 'back' meant 'the rear or behind' and 'water' meant 'a body of water'.
'back' + 'water' produced the compound noun 'backwater' (originally used for a part of a river where the flow is reversed or still). The noun 'backwater' was later converted into a verb ('to backwater' meaning to make or become stagnant), and from that verb the adjective/past form 'backwatered' emerged.
Initially it meant a literal 'part of a river where water is pushed back or becomes still,' but over time it evolved into the figurative meaning 'an isolated or stagnant place,' and 'backwatered' now commonly means 'made stagnant or left behind in development.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
past tense or past participle form of 'backwater' meaning to cause (a place or sector) to become a backwater; to make stagnant or leave behind in development.
Policy changes backwatered many small towns, leaving them with few new jobs.
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Adjective 1
describing a place or situation that has been made or regarded as stagnant, isolated, or backward; regarded as a 'backwater'.
The once-bustling port became backwatered after the new highway diverted traffic.
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Last updated: 2025/12/28 07:56