retreat

CEFRC1

/ɹɪˈtɹiːt/

verb · noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    To move away from danger, an enemy, or a difficult situation.

  2. 02

    noun

    A quiet place or period used for rest and reflection.

Examples

  • I was uncertain whether to advance or to retreat.

  • The army was forced to retreat after suffering heavy losses.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
5

Also pronounced

  • /ɹiˈtɹiːt/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. The act of pulling back or withdrawing, as from something dangerous, or unpleasant.

  2. The act of reversing direction and receding from a forward position.

  3. Withdrawal by a military force from a dangerous position or from enemy attack.

More examples

In context

  • The army had to retreat.

  • The general opted for a swift retreat because he saw his troops were vastly outnumbered.

  • We both need a week retreat after those two stressful years working in the city.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The army's blank from the battlefield was ordered after heavy losses.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

verb

From Middle English retret, from Old French retrait or retret, from Latin retractus, from retraho. Doublet of retract, retrait, and ritratto.