What does "retard" mean?
A retardation; a delay.
Retard
noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·2 syllables ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A retardation; a delay.
- Grammar: retard is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: slow, slow down, arrest, backpedal.
- Useful contrasts: loose, a tempo, able-bodied person.
- Usage evidence: Normally, a guy who reads light novels despite not being a kid anymore is a retard, don't you think?
How to use "retard"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "retard" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "retard" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "retard" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "retard" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "retard" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "slow" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "retard", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A retardation; a delay.
- 2 a person of subnormal intelligence wordnet
- 3 A slowing down of the tempo; a ritardando.
- 4 A person with mental retardation. dated, offensive
"The retard in our class needs special help."
- 5 A person or being who is extremely stupid or slow to learn. informal, offensive
"“That's 'cause your dog is a retard,” the large woman retorted. The pit bull must have sensed the insult because it got up on all fours and started barking at the woman. Not one to back down from an interspecies fight, the prison lady stood up […]"
Verb
- 1 To keep delaying; to continue to hinder; to prevent from progressing. transitive
"retard the march of an army"
- 2 cause to move more slowly or operate at a slower rate wordnet
- 3 To put off; to postpone. transitive
"to retard the attacks of old age"
- 4 lose velocity; move more slowly wordnet
- 5 To be slow or dilatory to perform (something). obsolete, transitive
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 slow the growth or development of wordnet
- 7 To decelerate; to slow down. intransitive
"70, 60, 50, 40, 30, 20, retard, retard..."
- 8 be delayed wordnet
- 9 To stay back. intransitive, obsolete
"Some years it [The River Nile] hath also retarded, and come far later than usually it was expected"
Antonyms
Example
"Normally, a guy who reads light novels despite not being a kid anymore is a retard, don't you think?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "retard"?
Common synonyms include: slow, slow down, arrest, backpedal, backwater, balk.
How do you use "retard" in a sentence?
Normally, a guy who reads light novels despite not being a kid anymore is a retard, don't you think?
Etymology
From Middle English retarden, from Anglo-Norman or Latin, from Anglo-Norman retarder, from Latin retardāre (“to retard”), from re- + tardus (“slow”).