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Definition of "retard" []

  • To cause to move or proceed slowly; delay or impede. (verb-transitive)
  • To be delayed. (verb-intransitive)
  • A slowing down or hindering of progress; a delay. (noun)
  • Music A slackening of tempo. (noun)
  • Offensive Slang Used as a disparaging term for a mentally retarded person. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "retard" in a sentence
  • "Look, I know the term retard is not politically correct but…"
  • "The same can be true of anyone who slips and uses the term retard or retarded."
  • "Finally Jennifer Aniston used the term retard and everyone is up in arms about it."