noun
Meaning 1
A retardation; a delay.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: delay, hold-up, retardation
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
retard
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.
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Received-Pronunciation: /ɹɪˈtɑːd/
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Received-Pronunciation: [ɹwɪˈthɑːd]
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UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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General-American: /ɹɪˈtɑɹd/
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General-American: [ɹwɪˈthɑɹd]
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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Received-Pronunciation: /ˈɹiːtɑːd/
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Received-Pronunciation: [ˈɹwɪi̯tɑːd]
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UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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General-American: /ˈɹiːtɑɹd/
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General-American: [ˈɹwɪi̯thɑɹd]
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)d
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CMU ARPABET: R IH0 T AA1 R D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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CMU ARPABET 2: R IY0 T AA1 R D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
A slowing down of the tempo; a ritardando.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
A person with mental retardation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated, offensive
Examples
- The retard in our class needs special help.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: tard, imbecile, idiot, moron
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
A person or being who is extremely stupid or slow to learn.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal, offensive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: imbecile, moron, idiot, alcatote, asshat, arsehole, asshole, bayard, berk, birdbrain, blither, bobchin, bonehead, bozo, buffoon, brickhead, Charlie, chucklehead, chowderhead, chump, clart, clown, der-brain, dill pickle, dim bulb, dimwit, dingleberry, dipshit, dipstick, dirtbrain, div, divvo, divvy, dolt, donk, doodle, doofus, dope, dork, dote, dotterel, dullard, dumbass, dumbbell, dumbo, dumb fuck, dummy, dunce, dunderhead, dupe, fathead, fenderhead, fiddle, fuckwit, fuzznut, geck, gig, gink, goober, gooseberry, gowk, gubbins, gump, half-baked, ha'p'orth, Homer Simpson, ignoramus, jamoke, jerk, jerkoff, jolterhead, jolthead, juggins, jughead, knucklehead, lamebrain, mameluke (US (Italian-American), slang), maroon, meathead, mong, mug, muggins, mushhead, nimrod, nincompoop, nit, nitwit, not the sharpest knife in the drawer, numskull, numps, numpty, nupson, oaf, pillock, pinhead, plonker, prat, retard, shit for brains, shithead, shitwit, schmo, schmuck, smooth brain, snapperhead, softhead, sohai, sot, stupid, sucker, thickhead, tonto, tool, tosser, tosspot, tubelight, twat, twerp, twit, wally, wantwit, wazzock, yampy, addle-brain, addlehead, addle pate, airhead, baboon, beanbrain, beetlebrain, beetlehead, bimbo, blockhead, blubberbrain, Boeotian, boob, brainlet, bubblehead, bubble brain, bufflehead, cittern-head, clod, clodpate, clot, crackhead, cretin, cuckoo, deadhead, dimbo, dimbus, dingbat, ding dong, dingwad, dip, doldrum, donut, doof, doofoid, drivel, drongo, drool bucket, dumb bunny, dumb cluck, dumbhead, dumble, dumbling, dumbnut, dummkopf, dunderpate, eejit, featherbrain, fleabrain, fool, fopdoodle, galoot, gimboid, gomer, gonk, goof, goofball, goofy, goon, goose, goosecap, gorbuson, gudgeon, halfwit, ha'porth, hammerhead, inbred, jackaninny, jellybrain, knothead, lackwit, log, loggerhead, lummox, lunk, lunkhead, meatball, mental midget, mome, momo, mongoloid, mongtard, monkey, mouth breather, muttonhead, mutt, ninny, ninnyhammer, noddy, noodlehead, numbskull, peabrain, peagoose, pigwidgeon, plank, put, putz, sap, saphead, silly, simp, simpleton, space cadet, spanner, stupe, stupid-head, tard, thickskull, thicko, tomfool, toolbox, turkey, wazzer, witless wonder, yo-yo, zany, Vulgar:, ass, assclown, asshead, asstard, asswipe, buttbreath, dildo, donkey dick, Alternative spelling of dumbass., dumbfuck, dumbfucker, dumbshit, farthead, fuck-knuckle, fucktard, jackass, peckerhead, shitbrain, shitneck
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 5
To keep delaying; to continue to hinder; to prevent from progressing.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
- retard the march of an army
- retard the motion of a ship
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: impede, hinder, hold up
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 6
To put off; to postpone.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
- to retard the attacks of old age
- to retard a rupture between nations
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 7
To be slow or dilatory to perform (something).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 8
To decelerate; to slow down.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 9
To stay back.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 10
a person of subnormal intelligence
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: idiot, imbecile, cretin, moron, changeling, half-wit
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: simpleton, simple
Narrower terms: mongoloid
verb
Meaning 11
cause to move more slowly or operate at a slower rate
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- This drug will retard your heart rate
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: decelerate, slow down
Narrower terms: deaden
verb
Meaning 12
lose velocity; move more slowly
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- The car decelerated
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: decelerate, slow, slow down, slow up
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: decrease, diminish, lessen, fall
Narrower terms: slow, slow down, slow up, delay, detain, hold up
verb
Meaning 13
slow the growth or development of
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- The brain damage will retard the child's language development
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: check, delay
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: change, alter, modify
Narrower terms: dampen, stay, detain, delay
verb
Meaning 14
be delayed
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: be
History
Etymology
From Middle English retarden, from Anglo-Norman or Latin, from Anglo-Norman retarder, from Latin retardāre (“to retard”, from re- + tardus (“slow”)).
Across languages
Translations
85 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Afrikaans: vertraging — retardation; delay
- Afrikaans: vertragings — retardation; delay
- Finnish: viive — retardation; delay
- Finnish: hidaste — retardation; delay
- French: retard — retardation; delay
- German: Verzögerung — retardation; delay
- German: Verspätung — retardation; delay
- Latvian: kavēšanās — retardation; delay
- Latvian: vilcināšanās — retardation; delay
- Russian: замедле́ние (zamedlénije) — retardation; delay
- Russian: заде́ржка (zadéržka) — retardation; delay
- Spanish: perecear — retardation; delay
- Swedish: försening — retardation; delay
- Swedish: fördröjning — retardation; delay
- Afrikaans: vertraagde — a person with mental retardation
- Afrikaans: vertraagdes — a person with mental retardation
- Afrikaans: mongool — a person with mental retardation
- Afrikaans: mongole — a person with mental retardation
- Albanian: prapambetje mentale — a person with mental retardation
- Czech: retard — a person with mental retardation
- Czech: retardka — a person with mental retardation
- Finnish: henkisesti jälkeenjäänyt — a person with mental retardation
- Finnish: see also Thesaurus:vammainen — a person with mental retardation
- French: retardé — a person with mental retardation
- Greek: καθυστερημένος (kathysteriménos) — a person with mental retardation
- Greek: βλαμμένος (vlamménos) — a person with mental retardation
- Italian: ritardato — a person with mental retardation
- Italian: ritardato mentale — a person with mental retardation
- Japanese: 知恵遅れ (chieokure) — a person with mental retardation
- Polish: debil — a person with mental retardation
- Polish: kaleka umysłowy — a person with mental retardation
- Russian: деби́л (debíl) — a person with mental retardation
- Spanish: retrasado — a person with mental retardation
- Spanish: retrasada — a person with mental retardation
- Spanish: retrasado mental — a person with mental retardation
- Spanish: retardado mental — a person with mental retardation
- Yiddish: תּם (tam) — a person with mental retardation
- Afrikaans: idioot — a stupid person, or one who is slow to learn
- Afrikaans: idiote — a stupid person, or one who is slow to learn
- Afrikaans: nool — a stupid person, or one who is slow to learn
- Afrikaans: nole — a stupid person, or one who is slow to learn
- Chinese Mandarin: 笨蛋 (bèndàn) — a stupid person, or one who is slow to learn
- Chinese Mandarin: 傻子 (shǎzi) — a stupid person, or one who is slow to learn
- Chinese Mandarin: 傻逼 (shǎbi) — a stupid person, or one who is slow to learn
- Chinese Mandarin: 智障 (zhìzhàng) — a stupid person, or one who is slow to learn
- Czech: retard — a stupid person, or one who is slow to learn
- Czech: retardka — a stupid person, or one who is slow to learn
- Dutch: mogool — a stupid person, or one who is slow to learn
- Finnish: vammainen — a stupid person, or one who is slow to learn
- Finnish: vähä-älyinen — a stupid person, or one who is slow to learn
- Finnish: see also Thesaurus:vammainen — a stupid person, or one who is slow to learn
- Finnish: kehari — a stupid person, or one who is slow to learn
- French: attardé — a stupid person, or one who is slow to learn
- Korean: 병신 (byeongsin) — a stupid person, or one who is slow to learn
- Russian: то́рмоз (tórmoz) — a stupid person, or one who is slow to learn
- Spanish: retrasado — a stupid person, or one who is slow to learn
- Spanish: retrasada — a stupid person, or one who is slow to learn
- Spanish: retrasado mental — a stupid person, or one who is slow to learn
- Spanish: retardado mental — a stupid person, or one who is slow to learn
- Swedish: idiot — a stupid person, or one who is slow to learn
- Swedish: mongo — a stupid person, or one who is slow to learn
- Yiddish: תּם (tam) — a stupid person, or one who is slow to learn
- Afrikaans: vertraag — keep delaying; impede; etc
- Finnish: hidastaa — keep delaying; impede; etc
- Finnish: viivyttää — keep delaying; impede; etc
- Finnish: jarruttaa — keep delaying; impede; etc
- German: verhindern — keep delaying; impede; etc
- Latvian: kavēt — keep delaying; impede; etc
- Latvian: vilcināt — keep delaying; impede; etc
- Russian: заде́рживать (zadérživatʹ) — keep delaying; impede; etc
- Spanish: retardar — keep delaying; impede; etc
- Spanish: remorar (disused) — keep delaying; impede; etc
- Afrikaans: uitstel — put off; postpone
- Finnish: siirtää tuonnemmaksi — put off; postpone
- Finnish: lykätä — put off; postpone
- German: verschieben — put off; postpone
- German: aufschieben — put off; postpone
- Ido: tardigar — put off; postpone
- Latvian: jūgt ārā — put off; postpone
- Latvian: jūgt nost — put off; postpone
- Russian: откла́дывать (otkládyvatʹ) — put off; postpone
- Spanish: retardar — put off; postpone
- Spanish: remorar (disused) — put off; postpone
- Afrikaans: agterbly — stay back
- German: zurückbleiben — stay back