retrograde
adjective
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Definition of retrograde
(Entry 1 of 3)
retrograde
adverbretrograde
verbDefinition of retrograde (Entry 3 of 3)
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Synonyms & Antonyms for retrograde
Synonyms: Adjective
Synonyms: Verb
atrophy, crumble, decay, decline, degenerate, descend, deteriorate, devolve, ebb, regress, rot, sink, worsen
Antonyms: Verb
ameliorate, improve, meliorate
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Examples of retrograde in a Sentence
Adjective
a retrograde policy that would leave more people poorer than they are now retrograde pedaling will engage the brakes on that bikeVerb
the Dark Ages, the period following the fall of the Roman Empire when Western civilization seriously retrograded
Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
The very next day, Chiron, an asteroid in everyone's birth chart, goes retrograde on Monday, July 8. — Sophie Saint Thomas, Allure, "How to Use This Month's Mercury Retrograde to Your Advantage," 27 June 2019 Joe’s choice of profession is a key to understanding why The Joe Rogan Experience can seem like a safe space for retrograde assholes: Among comics, radical free speech is a first principle. — Devin Gordon, The Atlantic, "I Tried to Live Like Joe Rogan," 19 Aug. 2019 But surging interest in urban aviation and a few new tech tools could combine to put the retrograde design back in the air. — Eric Adams, WIRED, "Old Gyrocopters Could Be the Funky Flying Cars of the Future," 12 Aug. 2019 The procedure, called endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, is used to diagnose and treat diseases of the pancreas, bile duct and gallbladder, such as life-threatening jaundice, tumors, blocked bile ducts and stones. — Roni Caryn Rabin, New York Times, "These Medical Devices Are Inserted Into 500,000 Patients Each Year — but Are Tough to Sterilize," 6 Aug. 2019 For all its contemporary gloss, Big Little Lies is a retrograde show. — Alexandra Lange, Curbed, "The Big Little Lie of the TV kitchen island," 1 Aug. 2019 Certainly Finch’s version is better than Roland Emmerich’s 2015 film of the same name, which is a disaster of whitewashing, earnestness, and bizarrely retrograde homophobic stereotypes. — Michelle Tea, Harper's magazine, "Stonewall at Fifty," 22 June 2019 After glass block began turning up in public restrooms, municipal swimming pools and diners in the 1980s, it was maligned as retrograde and even sleazy. — Karen Bruno And, WSJ, "Glass Block in Décor: Cheesy or Charming?," 7 Feb. 2019 Racial politics and the disaster of Vlade Divac as Kings GM aside, the NBA draft is among the most retrograde labor practices in American life, period. — Will Leitch, Daily Intelligencer, "The NBA Draft Is Great. It’s Also Totally Un-American.," 20 June 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Yes, Mercury retrograde ended last month; however, while the planet of communication was taking time off, some stuff slipped below the radar. — Randon Rosenbohm, Allure, "What Your Sign's April Horoscope Predictions Mean for You," 31 Mar. 2019 The planet of hard work and loyalty, Saturn, starts its retrograde shortly after, on Monday, April 29 (and lasts until September 18). — Randon Rosenbohm, Allure, "What April's Aries Horoscope Means for You," 31 Mar. 2019 Uranus will glide across the Taurus sky from May 15, 2018 through July 7, 2025, with a short break when Uranus retrogrades back to Aries from November 7 of this year until March 6, 2019. — Aliza Kelly Faragher, Allure, "What Uranus’s Astrological Transit Into Taurus Means for Your Finances," 10 May 2018 Retrogrades cause the areas ruled by the planet in question to flip upside down and go all wonky, which is why Mercury retrogrades cause delays in communication, as Mercury rules communication. — Sophie Saint Thomas, Allure, "Oh God, April’s Full Moon in Scorpio and Jupiter Retrograde Will Occur Simultaneously on Sunday Night," 27 Apr. 2018 Bluntly speaking, Mars retrograde means a lack of energy, low libido, disinterest in hitting the gym, and a general lethargy. — Sophie Saint Thomas, Allure, "How Mars Retrograde Will Affect Your Love Life and Career This Summer," 2 July 2018 When Mercury is retrograde, thought and communication are less direct, more ponderous, and meandering. — Alice Bell, Vogue, "18 Items to Brighten Your Mood During Mercury Retrograde," 6 Apr. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'retrograde.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.