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Detain vs Retard - What's the difference?

detain | retard |

In lang=en terms the difference between detain and retard

is that detain is to keep back or from; to withhold while retard is to decelerate; to slow down.

As verbs the difference between detain and retard

is that detain is keep (someone) from proceeding by holding them back or making claims on their attention while retard is to keep delaying; to continue to hinder; to prevent from progress; to render more slow in progress; to impede; to hinder.

As a noun retard is

retardation; delay.

detain

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • Keep (someone) from proceeding by holding them back or making claims on their attention.
  • To put under custody.
  • To keep back or from; to withhold.
  • * Jeremy Taylor
    • Detain not the wages of the hireling.

    retard

    English

    (wikipedia retard)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Retardation; delay.
  • (slang, offensive) A person with mental retardation.
    • Do all retards have a low I.Q.?
  • (slang, offensive) A stupid person, or one who is slow to learn.

    • Synonyms

    * (retardation) delay, hold-up, retardation * (person with mental retardation) idiot, tard (offensive), imbecile (disused medical term), mental deficient (legal term), moron (disused medical term), person with learning difficulties * (stupid person) See also

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To keep delaying; to continue to hinder; to prevent from progress; to render more slow in progress; to impede; to hinder
    • retard the march of an army
    retard the motion of a ship
  • To put off; to postpone.
    • to retard the attacks of old age
    to retard a rupture between nations
  • (obsolete) To be slow or dilatory to perform (something).
  • To decelerate; to slow down.
  • (obsolete) To stay back.
    • (Sir Thomas Browne)

    Synonyms

    * decelerate, hinder, slow, slow down * (postpone) postpone, put off * (stay back) hang back, stay back

    Antonyms

    * accelerate, speed, speed up * (postpone) * (stay back) come forward

    Derived terms

    * retarded

    References

    * IQ Basics, including formerly used medical terms for people with very low IQs

    Anagrams

    * English heteronyms ----