thataway
That way: in that direction, or done like that.
Also called that-a-way, that a way.
Updated September 24, 2026
thataway pronunciation
/THAT-uh-way/
Meaning
A Southern and Midland pointing word. Stick a little "a" between that and way and you've got thataway. Use it when you jab a finger down the road, toward the ridge, or at how somebody did a job. Sister form is thisaway. Pairs natural with over yonder when the spot is farther off.
How folks use it
- “The deer ran thataway through the corn.”
- “If you wire it thataway, you're gonna blow a fuse.”
Origin and etymology
Alteration of "that way" with an extra vowel in the middle (epenthesis), common in Southern and Midland U.S. speech since the 1830s. Smoky Mountain English lists thataway and thisaway as everyday locative adverbs. Western cowboy talk picked it up too, which is why movie sheriffs yell "they went thataway."
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between thataway and thisaway?
Thataway points away from you. Thisaway points toward your side or the way you're facing.