[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/retard/)

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# retard

verb (retard, retards, retarded, retarding — said ri-TARD, formal); noun (a retard — said REE-tard, offensive slur)

«retard» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (formal, science) To slow down or delay something: to retard growth, fire-retardant material. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/retard/#m1)
2. (rude, offensive) A very hurtful insult for a person with a learning disability or for someone thought stupid — never use it. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/retard/#m2)

### In the lessons

In science and safety «retard» means slow down; «fire retardant» fabric slows burning, which keeps people safe. The insult sense is hate speech: in stories it shows a bully being cruel; in real life using it hurts people with disabilities. Old medical words like «mentally retarded» are now replaced by «learning disability» or «intellectual disability».

### Examples

- Cold weather retards the growth of plants. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/retard/#x1)
- The curtains are treated to retard fire. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/retard/#x2)
- Fire-retardant pyjamas are safer for children. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/retard/#x3)
- Salt can retard the rotting of meat. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/retard/#x4)
- (rude, a bully in a story) «Don't call him that word — it's cruel,» said the teacher. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/retard/#x5)

### Note

The slur is one of the most hurtful words in English; do not use it, even as a joke. Safe words: slow, delay; «retardant» (a substance that slows burning). In music, «ritardando» means getting slower.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «retard» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/retard/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«retard» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/retard.html) on Mova free.