retard

/ri'tɑ:d/
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Thân thiện
Definition

  1. Verb:

    • To cause to move, proceed, or develop more slowly; to delay or impede: The primary meaning is to make something slower than it would otherwise be, either in physical motion or in progress/development.
    • To be delayed or slow down: To occur or progress at a slower than normal rate.

  2. Noun:

    • A delay or slowing of progress: An instance of being slowed down.
    • A person with an intellectual disability (Offensive): This usage is now considered highly offensive and derogatory. It should be avoided.
Examples of Usage

  • Verb:

    • Adding too much weight will retard the aircraft's acceleration.
    • Lack of sunlight can retard the growth of these plants.
    • The chemical is designed to retard the spread of flames.

  • Noun (referring to a delay):

    • The project experienced a significant retard due to funding issues. (This noun form is technical/formal and less common in everyday speech.)
Advanced Usage

  • Technical/Scientific Context: The verb is often used in technical fields (physics, engineering, chemistry, medicine) to describe the act of slowing a process.

    • The inhibitor retards the polymerization reaction.
    • This medication is used to retard the progression of the disease.

  • Historical/Literary Context: The noun form meaning "delay" can be found in older or formal texts.

    • "Without retard, the army advanced."
Variants and Related Words
  • Retardation (n): The act of retarding or the condition of being retarded; delay. In a medical/psychological context, it historically referred to intellectual disability (now largely replaced by terms like "intellectual and developmental disability" due to the offensive connotations of "retard").
  • Retardant (n/adj): A substance that slows down a process (e.g., ). As an adjective: having the effect of slowing (e.g., ).
  • Retarded (adj): Made slower or less developed. Its use to describe a person with an intellectual disability is now considered offensive and outdated.

CRITICAL NOTE ON OFFENSIVE USAGE: The use of "retard" as a noun or "retarded" as an adjective to describe a person is a severe slur. It is derogatory and hurtful. Appropriate, respectful language includes terms like "person with an intellectual disability" or "person with developmental delays."

Synonyms
  • Verb: delay, slow (down), impede, hinder, decelerate, brake, hold back, set back.
  • Noun (delay): delay, slowdown, deceleration, hindrance, impediment.
Antonyms
  • Verb: accelerate, speed up, advance, promote, expedite, hasten.
Related Phrases/Idioms
  • Fire retardant: A substance that slows or resists the spread of fire.
  • Flame retardant: Similar to fire retardant, specifically inhibiting ignition or flame spread.
  • Mental retardation (Outdated/Offensive): An outdated clinical term for intellectual disability. Its use is now widely discouraged in professional and social contexts.
Noun
  1. a person of subnormal intelligence
Verb
  1. lose velocity; move more slowly
    • The car decelerated
  2. slow the growth or development of
    • The brain damage will retard the child's language development
  3. be delayed
  4. cause to move more slowly or operate at a slower rate
    • This drug will retard your heart rate

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