Dumb vs Retarded - What's the difference?

Retarded is a synonym of dumb.

As adjectives the difference between dumb and retarded

is that dumb is unable to speak; lacking power of speech while retarded is delayed; delayed in development, hindered; impeded.

As verbs the difference between dumb and retarded

is that dumb is to silence while retarded is past tense of retard.

dumb

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) dumb, from (etyl) . In ordinary spoken English, a phrase like "He is dumb" is interpreted as "He is stupid" rather than "He lacks the power of speech". The latter example, however, is the original sense of the word. The senses of stupid'', ''unintellectual'', and ''pointless developed under the influence of the (etyl) word dumm.

Adjective

(er)

(label) Unable to speak; lacking power of speech.

* Hooker

to unloose the very tongues even of dumb creatures

(label) Silent; unaccompanied by words.

dumb show

* Shakespeare

This spirit, dumb to us, will speak to him.

* J. C. Shairp

to pierce into the dumb past

extremely stupid.

You are so dumb ! You don't even know how to make toast!

(label) Pointless, foolish, lacking intellectual content or value.

This is dumb ! We're driving in circles! We should have asked for directions an hour ago!

Brendan had the dumb job of moving boxes from one conveyor belt to another.

Lacking brightness or clearness, as a colour.

* De Foe

Her stern was painted of a dumb white or dun color.

Synonyms

* (unable to speak) dumbstruck, mute, speechless, wordless * (stupid) feeble-minded, idiotic, moronic, stupid * banal, brainless, dopey, silly, stupid, ridiculous, vulgar

Derived terms

* dumb as a box of rocks * dumben * dumbhood * dummy * dumbness

Etymology 2

From (etyl) dumbien, from (etyl) dumbian (more commonly in compound .

Verb

(en verb)

To silence.

* 1911 , Lindsay Swift, William Lloyd Garrison , p. 272,

The paralysis of the Northern conscience, the dumbing of the Northern voice, were coming to an end.

To make stupid.

* 2003 , Angela Calabrese Barton, Teaching Science for Social Justice , p. 124,

I think she's dumbing us down, so we won't be smarter than her.

To represent as stupid.

* 2004 , Stephen Oppenheimer, The Real Eve: Modern Man's Journey Out of Africa , p. 107,

Bad-mouthing Neanderthals . . . is symptomatic of a need to exclude and even demonize. . . . I suggest that the unproven dumbing of the Neanderthals is an example of the same cultural preconception.

To reduce the intellectual demands of.

* 2002 , Deborah Meier, In Schools We Trust: Creating Communities of Learning in an Era of Testing , p. 126,

The ensuing storm caused the department to lower the bar—amid protests that this was dumbing the test down—so that only 80 percent of urban kids would fail.

Derived terms

* dumbness * dumb blonde * dumb down * dumbocracy * dumb-show * dumb terminal * dummy * play dumb

retarded

English

Adjective

(en adjective)

Delayed; delayed in development, hindered; impeded.

* 2004 , Duncan Mackay, The Observer , 8 Aug 2004:

HGH, which was originally developed to assist children with retarded growth, is believed to be especially popular with sprinters.

(chiefly, North America) Underdeveloped (of a person's intelligence, abilities etc.).

* 2000 , Kate Connolly, The Guardian , 19 Apr 2000:

The European Roma Rights Centre in Budapest, which is representing the children - from the north-eastern city of Ostrava - said that the education ministry and local authorities had for decades "perpetuated a system which routinely brands disproportionate numbers of Gypsies as mentally retarded ".

(colloquial, derogatory) Stupid, dumb.

* 1988 , Raymond E Feist, Faerie Tale :

Looking at Jack, Gabbie said, "What?" "That's the Troll Bridge." She groaned at the pun. "That's retarded ."

(physics) Designating a parameter of an electromagnetic field which is adjusted to account for the finite speed of radiation.

Verb

(head)

(retard)