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Retard vs Tardy - What's the difference?

retard | tardy |

As nouns the difference between retard and tardy

is that retard is retardation; delay while tardy is a piece of paper given to students who are late to class.

As verbs the difference between retard and tardy

is that retard is to keep delaying; to continue to hinder; to prevent from progress; to render more slow in progress; to impede; to hinder while tardy is to make tardy.

As an adjective tardy is

late; overdue or delayed.

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 ----

    tardy

    English

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Late; overdue or delayed.
    • He yawned, then raised a tardy hand over his mouth.
  • ineffectual; slow-witted, slow to act, or dullard.
    • His tardy performance bordered on incompetence.
  • Moving with a slow pace or motion; not swift.
  • * Sandys
    • Check the tardy flight of time.
  • * Prior
    • tardy to vengeance, and with mercy brave
  • (obsolete) Unwary; unready.
    • (Hudibras)
  • (obsolete) Criminal; guilty.
    • (Collier)

    Synonyms

    * (l), (l)

    Usage notes

    * The term suggests habitual lateness. * Somewhat dated in the United Kingdom.

    Noun

    (tardies)
  • (US) A piece of paper given to students who are late to class.
    • The teacher gave her a tardy because she did not come into the classroom until after the bell.

    See also

    * tardy slip

    Verb

  • (obsolete) To make tardy.
    • (Shakespeare)