Westward means towards the west. It works two ways.

Westward means towards the westWestward 的意思是「朝西」。 It works two ways它有兩種用法。

As an adverb it tells you which way something moves: "the ship sailed westward", "they travelled westward for three days". As an adjective it sits before a noun and describes the direction of a movement or view: "a westward journey", "the westward flow of the river", "westward expansion".

As an adverb當副詞用時 it tells you which way something moves它告訴你某個東西移動的方向: "the ship sailed westward", "they travelled westward for three days"像 "the ship sailed westward"（船向西航行）、"they travelled westward for three days"（他們向西走了三天）。 As an adjective當形容詞用時 it sits before a noun and describes the direction of a movement or view它會放在名詞前面，描述移動或視野的方向: "a westward journey", "the westward flow of the river", "westward expansion"像 "a westward journey"（向西的旅程）、"the westward flow of the river"（河流向西流）、"westward expansion"（向西擴張）。

You will also meet the form westwards, with an -s. In British English westwards is common as the adverb; in American English westward is usual for both. Neither is wrong, and no one will misunderstand you.

You will also meet the form westwards, with an -s你也會看到多一個 -s 的形式 westwards。 In British English westwards is common as the adverb在英式英文裡，westwards 常當副詞用; in American English westward is usual for both在美式英文裡，westward 兩種用法都通用。 Neither is wrong兩種寫法都沒有錯, and而且 no one will misunderstand you沒有人會誤會你的意思。

The word feels a little formal or literary — in ordinary speech people more often say "to the west" or "west": "we drove west", "it's west of here". You meet westward most in writing about travel, ships, history, and geography, and in the fixed phrase "westward expansion", which in American history books means white settlers moving across the continent towards the Pacific.

The word feels a little formal or literary這個字感覺有點正式或文學性 — in ordinary speech在日常口語裡 people more often say "to the west" or "west"大家更常說 "to the west" 或 "west": "we drove west", "it's west of here"像 "we drove west"（我們開車往西走）、"it's west of here"（它在這裡的西邊）。 You meet westward most in writing about travel, ships, history, and geography你最常在旅遊、航海、歷史和地理的文章裡看到 westward, and而且 in the fixed phrase "westward expansion"在固定片語 "westward expansion"（向西擴張）裡也會用到, which in American history books means white settlers moving across the continent towards the Pacific在美國歷史書裡指的是白人移民橫越大陸往太平洋方向遷移。

The same pattern gives you northward, southward, eastward, and also homeward, upward, backward — the ending -ward always means "in that direction".

The same pattern gives you northward, southward, eastward同樣的規則也造出了 northward、southward、eastward, and also homeward, upward, backward還有 homeward、upward、backward — the ending -ward always means "in that direction"字尾 -ward 永遠是「朝那個方向」的意思。