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Mitigate vs Retard - What's the difference?

mitigate | retard |

In lang=en terms the difference between mitigate and retard

is that mitigate is to downplay while retard is to decelerate; to slow down.

As verbs the difference between mitigate and retard

is that mitigate is to reduce, lessen, or decrease 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.

mitigate

English

Verb

(mitigat)
  • To reduce, lessen, or decrease.
  • * 1795 —
    • Measures are pursuing to prevent or mitigate the usual consequences of such outrages, and with the hope of their succeeding at least to avert general hostility.
  • * 1813 —
    • But in yielding to it the retaliation has been mitigated as much as possible, both in its extent and in its character...
  • * 1896 —
    • Then they tell us that vaccination will mitigate the disease that it will make it milder.
  • * 1901 — , ch 7
    • Then I discovered the brilliance of the landscape around was mitigated by blue spectacles.
  • * 1920 —
    • The plague had not been kind to him, yet had left him this small furry thing to mitigate his sorrow; and when one is very young, one can find great relief in the lively antics of a black kitten.
  • To downplay.

    • Synonyms

    * (to reduce or lessen) check, diminish, ease, lighten, mollify, pacify, palliate

    Antonyms

    * (to reduce or lessen) aggrandize, aggravate, exacerbate, incite, increase, intensify, irritate, worsen

    Coordinate terms

    * (l)

    Related terms

    * mitigated * mitigating * mitigation * mitigant ----

    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 ----