decelerate

/di:'seləreit/

Thân thiện

The car decelerates as it approaches the red traffic light.

Definition

1. Verb (transitive):

   • To cause something to move or happen at a slower speed; to reduce the speed or rate of something.

2. Verb (intransitive):

   • To move or proceed at a slower speed; to lose velocity.

Usage

• As a transitive verb, "decelerate" takes a direct object (the thing whose speed is being reduced).
• As an intransitive verb, it describes the subject's own action of slowing down.
• It is often used in technical, formal, or scientific contexts related to motion, growth, or processes.

Examples

• Transitive verb:
  • The pilot decelerated the aircraft before landing.
  • The new policy aims to decelerate inflation.
• Intransitive verb:
  • The train began to decelerate as it approached the station.
  • Economic growth is expected to decelerate next quarter.

Advanced Usage

• "decelerate the process": To deliberately slow down a procedure or development.
  • They decided to decelerate the process to ensure accuracy.
• Used in physics and engineering to describe negative acceleration.

Variants and Related Words

• Deceleration (n): The act or process of decelerating; the state of decelerating.
  • The car's rapid deceleration threw him forward.
• Decelerator (n): A device used to reduce speed.

Synonyms

• Slow (down) (v): To reduce speed. (More common and general)
• Retard (v): To delay or slow the progress of. (Formal, often technical)
• Brake (v): To slow or stop by using a brake. (Specific to vehicles/machines)

Antonyms

• Accelerate (v): To increase in speed or rate.
• Speed up (v): To go or cause to go faster.

Phrasal Verbs

• Decelerate into: To slow down while entering or transitioning into something.
  • The spacecraft will decelerate into the planet's atmosphere.

Học thuật

Verb

1. reduce the speed of
   • He slowed down the car
2. lose velocity; move more slowly
   • The car decelerated

Từ đồng nghĩa

• slow down
• slow
• slow up
• retard