RETARDATIONS Synonyms: 20 Similar and Opposite Words

retardations

noun

plural of retardation

as in decelerations

a usually gradual decrease in the pace or level of activity of something scientists discovered that they could achieve the retardation of light if they shined it through a variety of substances

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

accelerations

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for retardations

Noun

Match analysis from professional football also suggests around a quarter fewer explosive accelerations and decelerations at altitude than at sea level.

— Alan McCall, New York Times, 1 July 2026

Definition of decelerations

Noun

In another set of studies, adults who made more frequent and extreme upward comparisons reported an immediate decline in self-evaluation and cumulative declines in self-esteem and life satisfaction over a browsing session.

— Ashwini Nadkarni, Time, 24 Oct. 2026
Negative divergences alone don't necessarily lead to immediate declines.

— Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of declines

Noun

Investors are betting on an enormous buildout, and data center moratoriums or other slowdowns could hurt forecasts for returns on investments.

— Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026
Commissioners Tom Ramsey and Adrian Garcia voted against the plan, citing concerns about bureaucratic slowdowns and a potential overlap between those efforts and a similar process spearheaded by the sheriff’s office that’s currently underway.

— John Lomax V, Houston Chronicle, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of slowdowns

Noun

Her eye doctor said over-the-counter drops weren’t addressing the inflammation underneath.

— Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Designed by Martin Katz, the bra featured nearly 3,900 gemstones, including two black diamond drops and 120 round white diamonds, with a total weight of 1,500 carats.

— Amanda Le, InStyle, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of drops

Noun

In last year’s World Series, Ohtani had endured hitting slumps, too, but his teammates compensated with timely contributions to earn a second consecutive title.

— Andrew Greif, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026
When healthy, Ohtani has the ability to break out of even the most dire of slumps with an otherworldly performance, like that three-homer (as a hitter), 10-strikeout (as a pitcher) all-timer.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of slumps

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

retardation

retardations

retarded

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Retardations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retardations. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of retardations

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

disparate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes