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Retarded vs Delayed - What's the difference?

retarded | delayed |

As verbs the difference between retarded and delayed

is that retarded is past tense of retard while delayed is past tense of delay.

As an adjective retarded

is delayed; delayed in development, hindered; impeded.

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)

    • delayed

    English

    Verb

    (head)
  • (delay)

    • delay

    English

    (wikipedia delay)

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) . More at let (to hinder), late, leave.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To put off until a later time; to defer.
  • * Bible, (w) xxiv. 48
    • My lord delayeth his coming.
  • To retard; to stop, detain, or hinder, for a time.
  • *
    • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=10 , passage=Mr. Cooke had had a sloop?yacht built at Far Harbor, the completion of which had been delayed , and which was but just delivered. […] The Maria had a cabin, which was finished in hard wood and yellow plush, and accommodations for keeping things cold.}}
  • (label) To allay; to temper.
  • * (Edmund Spenser) (c.1552–1599)
    • The watery showers delay the raging wind.
    Usage notes
    * This is a catenative verb that takes the gerund (-ing) . See
    Synonyms
    * See also * adjourn * defer * forslow * postpone * put off * put on ice * suspend

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A period of time before an event occurs; the act of delaying; procrastination; lingering inactivity.
    • the delay before the echo of a sound
  • * Bible, Acts xxv. 17
    • Without any delay , on the morrow I sat on the judgment seat.
  • * Macaulay
    • The government ought to be settled without the delay of a day.

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) .

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To dilute, temper.
  • (obsolete) To assuage, quench, allay.
  • * 1590 , (Edmund Spenser), The Faerie Queene , III.12:
    • Those dreadfull flames she also found delayd / And quenched quite like a consumed torch […].

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