be, seem

extremely, fairly, very, etc.
a rather backward part of the country

economically, educationally, technologically

Backward is used with these nouns:
direction, glance, motion, movement, step, swing, thrust, tilt

Backward is used with these verbs:
bend, edge, fall, jerk, jump, lean, lurch, roll, slide, spell, stagger, step, throw, walk