Standard Lemma guide

retiring

adj · noun · 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

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/ɹəˈtaɪ(ə)ɹɪŋ/
US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -aɪəɹɪŋ
CMU ARPABET: R IH0 T AY1 R IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2: R IY0 T AY1 ER0 IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 3: R IY0 T AY1 R IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

adj

Meaning 1

introverted, liking privacy and seclusion.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

I don't really know him well, since he's so shy and retiring.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

noun

Meaning 2

retirement

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

verb

Meaning 3

present participle and gerund of retire

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present

Examples

Today is the party for our retiring co-workers.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

reluctant to draw attention to yourself

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: reticent, self-effacing

Antonyms: none provided

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

not arrogant or presuming

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

unassuming to a fault, skeptical about the value of his work
a shy retiring girl

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unassuming

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

5 source translations are retained for this English entry.

Bulgarian: затворен (zatvoren) — preferring their own company, liking privacy
Bulgarian: необщителен (neobštitelen) — preferring their own company, liking privacy
Greek: απομακρυσμένος (apomakrysménos) — preferring their own company, liking privacy
Māori: hūnguengue — preferring their own company, liking privacy
Māori: ngākau tōngā — preferring their own company, liking privacy

Word forms

Inflections and variants

retirings — plural

Word family

Derived and related words

Derived: nonretiring, retiringly, retiringness, retiring room

Related: unassertive, modest

Semantic map

Other relationships

Sources

Where this information comes from

Wiktionary data was expanded into structured fields by Wiktextract. Matching Princeton WordNet definitions and semantic relationships, plus CMUdict ARPABET pronunciations, are merged into this same canonical word page.

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Changes made: Wiktionary markup was removed and matching senses were grouped; WordNet and CMUdict evidence was merged into the canonical word page. Source quotations with separate cited works are not republished.

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Real reading context

Examples

Meaning relationships

Meaning relationships

Examples

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Examples

Meaning relationships

retiring in complete knowledge articles