Standard Lemma guide

decelerate

verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /diːˈsɛləɹeɪt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 S EH1 L ER0 EY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To reduce the velocity of something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To reduce the rate of advancement of something, such as a disease.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To go slower.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

reduce the speed of

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • He slowed down the car

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: slow down

Antonyms: accelerate

Broader terms: change, alter, modify

Narrower terms: moderate, retard, fishtail

5

verb

Meaning 5

lose velocity; move more slowly

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The car decelerated

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: slow, slow down, slow up, retard

Antonyms: accelerate

Broader terms: decrease, diminish, lessen, fall

Narrower terms: slow, slow down, slow up, delay, detain, hold up

History

Etymology

Late 19th c., from de- + (ac)celerate. Compare deaccelerate.

Across languages

Translations

46 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: أبْطَأ — reduce the velocity of something
  • Arabic: تَبَاطَأ (tabāṭaʔ) — reduce the velocity of something
  • Bulgarian: намалявам скоростта (namaljavam skorostta) — reduce the velocity of something
  • Catalan: descelerar — reduce the velocity of something
  • Catalan: desaccelerar — reduce the velocity of something
  • Finnish: hiljentää vauhtia — reduce the velocity of something
  • Finnish: hidastaa — reduce the velocity of something
  • French: ralentir — reduce the velocity of something
  • French: décélérer — reduce the velocity of something
  • Hungarian: lassít — reduce the velocity of something
  • Hungarian: lelassít — reduce the velocity of something
  • Italian: decelerare — reduce the velocity of something
  • Latin: retardare — reduce the velocity of something
  • Luxembourgish: desacceleréieren — reduce the velocity of something
  • Māori: whakapōturi — reduce the velocity of something
  • Romanian: încetini — reduce the velocity of something
  • Russian: замедля́ть (zamedljátʹ) — reduce the velocity of something
  • Russian: заме́длить (zamédlitʹ) — reduce the velocity of something
  • Spanish: desacelerar — reduce the velocity of something
  • Spanish: decelerar — reduce the velocity of something
  • Tagalog: hidarasigin — reduce the velocity of something
  • Ukrainian: спові́льнювати (spovílʹnjuvaty) — reduce the velocity of something
  • Ukrainian: спові́льнити (spovílʹnyty) — reduce the velocity of something
  • Bulgarian: намалявам скоростта (namaljavam skorostta) — reduce the rate of advancement of something
  • Catalan: descelerar — reduce the rate of advancement of something
  • Catalan: desaccelerar — reduce the rate of advancement of something
  • Finnish: hidastaa — reduce the rate of advancement of something
  • Latin: retardare — reduce the rate of advancement of something
  • Romanian: încetini — reduce the rate of advancement of something
  • Arabic: تَبَاطَأ (tabāṭaʔ) — to go slower
  • Bulgarian: забавям (zabavjam) — to go slower
  • Czech: zpomalit — to go slower
  • Finnish: hidastua — to go slower
  • French: ralentir — to go slower
  • French: décélérer — to go slower
  • Hungarian: lassul — to go slower
  • Hungarian: lelassul — to go slower
  • Italian: decelerare — to go slower
  • Māori: whakapūhoi — to go slower
  • Romanian: încetini — to go slower
  • Romanian: decelera — to go slower
  • Russian: замедля́ться (zamedljátʹsja) — to go slower
  • Russian: заме́длиться (zamédlitʹsja) — to go slower
  • Spanish: desacelerar — to go slower
  • Ukrainian: спові́льнюватися (spovílʹnjuvatysja) — to go slower
  • Ukrainian: спові́льнитися (spovílʹnytysja) — to go slower