retard
retard
Pronunciation
IPA Phonetic Spelling
The IPA phonetic spelling for the verb form of "retard" is: /rɪˈtɑːrd/
Syllable Breakdown
First Syllable: /rɪˈ/
Sounds: A short 'r' sound, followed by the vowel sound in "bead" or the schwa sound.
Second Syllable: /tɑːrd/
Sounds: A 't' sound, followed by the vowel sound in "father," followed by an 'r' sound, and ending with a 'd' sound. The primary stress is on this syllable.
Word Form Variations
The following are the principal word form variations of the term:
Verb (Base Form): retard
Present Participle: retarding
Simple Past Tense & Past Participle: retarded
Third-Person Singular Present: retards
Noun (Action/Result): retardation
Adjective (State/Condition): retarded (though this is now widely considered offensive, its form remains)
Noun (Agent/Device): retarder (e.g., a chemical additive)
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Verb
Definition 1 (Transitive)
To cause something to move or operate more slowly; to delay the development, progress, or accomplishment of.
Synonyms: check, decelerate, delay, hinder, impede, obstruct, slow, stall.
Antonyms: accelerate, advance, expedite, further, hasten, quicken, speed.
Definition 2 (Intransitive)
To become delayed or to move more slowly. (Less common in modern use).
Synonyms: lag, slow down, slacken.
Antonyms: gain (time), speed up, progress.
Noun
Definition 1
A slowing down, delay, or hindrance in movement, progress, or development.
Synonyms: decline, deceleration, delay, setback, slowdown.
Antonyms: advance, acceleration, boost, progress, surge.
Definition 2 (Offensive, Slang, Pejorative)
A person who is foolish, stupid, or ineffective in some way.
Synonyms: blockhead, dolt, dullard, idiot, simpleton.
Antonyms: genius, intellectual, prodigy.
Definition 3 (Offensive, Former Clinical Use)
A person with an intellectual disability or significantly limited intellectual understanding and development. (This term is considered a highly offensive slur and has been replaced in clinical and legal contexts by terms like intellectual disability or cognitive impairment).
Synonyms (of the concept): developmentally disabled person, intellectually disabled person (Non-offensive replacements).
Antonyms (Conceptual): The concept does not have direct non-offensive antonyms that are single words.
Examples of Use
Technical/Verbal Use (Meaning: Slow Down/Hinder)
These examples use the verb and related forms in their non-derogatory, technical sense:
Science/Engineering (Verb): "The company's new chemical retarder is designed to slow the setting time of concrete, allowing workers more time to finish the surface before it hardens." (Construction Industry Publication, July 2023)
Book (Verb): "The economic sanctions are expected to retard the nation's progress in military technology by limiting access to microchips." (Analysis of Geopolitics, October 2024)
Newspaper (Verb/Passive): "The fire was eventually contained, but the severe smoke damage will retard the reopening of the facility by at least three months." (Local News Report, January 2024)
Historical/Medical Use (Meaning: Intellectual Disability)
These examples reflect the word's past clinical use, now considered outdated and highly offensive:
Historical Text (Adjective/Noun): "Prior to the 1960s, children with significantly delayed cognitive development were often classified as mentally retarded and placed in special schools." (Historical Sociology Text, 1998)
Note: This specific usage is no longer acceptable in medical or legal contexts.
Governmental Policy (Noun): "The agency was established in 1957 to address the needs of those experiencing retardation and other developmental disabilities." (Archived Policy Document, 1995)
Public Discourse/Offensive Use (Meaning: Insult/Slur)
These examples reflect the word's highly offensive and pejorative use as a slur, which is widespread in informal and online discourse:
Online Platform (Insult): A commenter on a social media thread wrote, "Retard is a word that should be fully retired from our vocabulary given its hurtful and offensive history." (Online Forum Discussion, February 2024)
General Discourse (Insult): "The politician was heavily criticized for using the word 'retard' as a general insult to describe his political opponents' ideas as foolish." (Political Commentary, May 2024)
Entertainment (Slang/Pejorative): A character in a comedy routine was heard saying, "Don't be a retard and forget your passport." (Streaming Comedy Special, June 2022)
Note: The use of this word in entertainment is often met with immediate criticism due to its nature as a slur.
10 Famous Quotes Using Retard
"The development of a child's mental ability, when measured, showed a marked tendency to retard in subjects where home instruction was lacking." (Early Educational Research Publication, 1920s)
"Nothing so much retards the progress of nations as a blind, unreasoning, and inflexible adherence to ancient customs." (Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations)
"There is no more certain way to retard the development of a pupil than to make the difficulty too great." (Maria Montessori, The Montessori Method)
"I would have never called him that if I knew... you don't call retarded people retards; you call your friends retards when they're acting retarded." (Michael Scott, The Office, 2008)
"The chief object of our anxiety should be, not to accelerate his pace, but to take care that he does not retard it." (Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Emile, or On Education)
"The chemical is designed to retard the oxidation process in the metal, thereby preventing rust and corrosion." (Industrial Chemistry Report, 2021)
"The word retard is considered hate speech because it offends people with intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as the people that care for and support them." (Special Olympics Publication, 2025)
"A slight pressure applied to the caliper is sufficient to retard the wheel's rotation without bringing it to a complete halt." (Automotive Engineering Manual, 2005)
"It is wrong to pain people with your language... when you pepper your speak with retard and retarded, you are spreading hurt." (John C. McGinley, Actor and Advocate, 2025)
"Excessive regulation, if not carefully considered, can significantly retard the speed of technological innovation in a competitive market." (Economic Policy Journal, 2024)
Etymology
The word "retard" has a very old and completely neutral origin that relates to the simple concept of slowing down.
Latin Roots (The Start)
The word comes from the Latin verb retardāre.
This Latin word is made up of two parts:
re- (meaning "back" or "again").
tardāre (meaning "to loiter" or "to be slow," which is related to the root word tardus, meaning "slow" or "sluggish").
Therefore, the original Latin meaning was simply "to hold back," "to hinder," or "to make slow."
First Known Use and Meaning
The English word "retard" first appeared as a verb during the Middle English period (around the late 15th century, with the earliest recorded use around 1490).
Its initial meaning in English was the same as the Latin one: to delay or impede the movement, progress, or development of something.
In this original, neutral sense, you could say that a large parachute would retard the speed of a falling object, or that bad weather would retard the harvest.
Evolution to a Slur
The word's shift to an offensive term happened much later, in two key stages:
Clinical Use (Late 19th/Early 20th Century): The related noun, "mental retardation," was introduced as a formal, clinical term to describe a condition of significantly delayed mental development. This was actually meant to be a more sensitive replacement for older, harsher clinical labels like "idiot" and "moron."
Pejorative Use (Mid-20th Century Onward): Unfortunately, like the terms it replaced, "retard" was pulled from its clinical context and turned into a general-purpose insult (a "slur") on playgrounds and in public discourse, used to call someone stupid, foolish, or ineffective. This pejorative use is why the term is now widely condemned and has been officially replaced by terms like "intellectual disability" in medical and legal fields.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Retard
Established & Technical Phrases (Using the Verb/Noun)
To retard the flame/fire: To slow down or inhibit the combustion process, often through a chemical additive (a fire retardant.).
To retard progress/development: To slow the speed or rate at which something grows, improves, or moves forward.
Retard of the tide: A specific nautical term referring to the gradual decrease in the range or speed of the tide during a particular lunar cycle.
Growth retardant: A chemical substance used, particularly in agriculture, to inhibit or slow the growth of plants.
Mental retardation: The former clinical term used to describe significant limitations in cognitive functioning and adaptive behavior. (Now universally replaced by "intellectual disability.")
Supplemental and Synonym Idioms
These phrases use the verb or incorporate idioms with the synonym "slow" to convey a similar meaning of hindrance or delay:
Slow to a crawl: An idiom meaning to move or operate extremely slowly. (e.g., Traffic was slowed to a crawl by the accident.)
To hit the retard button: A creative phrase suggesting an action that immediately causes a delay or slowdown.
To retard the aging process: A common concept in biology or cosmetics—to slow the effects of natural deterioration over time.
Put the brakes on: An idiom meaning to delay or halt an activity or plan. (e.g., We need to put the brakes on this project until we secure more funding.)
A drag on the economy: A phrase where "drag" acts as a synonym for "retard," meaning something that slows down economic growth. (e.g., High taxes were a drag on the economy.)
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of retard from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
