retreat

B2 Topic:Verbs of Movement

US /ɹɪˈtɹiːt/ See IPA manual

Freq #4467

Meanings

1

noun
The act of moving back or away from something dangerous or difficult.

The army's retreat allowed the enemy to take the city.
2

noun
A quiet, private place where you can rest and relax.

They spend the summer at their mountain retreat.
3

noun
A period of quiet time away for rest, study, or prayer.

The whole team went on a weekend retreat to plan the year ahead.
4

verb
To move back or away from danger or difficulty.

The soldiers were forced to retreat under heavy fire.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the act of moving back or... withdrawal

4 verb · to move back or away from... withdraw

More balk crawfish decline recederegraderetire retrograde revert shrink

Opposites

advance charge deadlock draw engage fight lunge storm tie

Word family

Forms retreatedretreatingretreats

Derived forms counterretreatreretreatretreatalretreatantretreatfulretreatingnessretreatismretreatistretreatlikeunretreating

Related forms retract

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

ignominious retreat
A withdrawal that causes shame or humiliation.

Adjective + noun

Proverbs (1)

See all

Don't retreat, reload

Simplified etymology

Retreat has been used in English since the Middle English period. It is historically related to Latin trahere “draw” and carries the underlying idea of drawing back.

Etymology

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

retret Middle English retrait Old French retractus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Verbs of Movement

External links

# retreat

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ɹɪˈtɹiːt/
**Frequency rank:** 4467

## Meanings
1. The act of moving back or away from something dangerous or difficult.
2. A quiet, private place where you can rest and relax.
3. A period of quiet time away for rest, study, or prayer.
4. To move back or away from danger or difficulty.

## Examples
- The army's retreat allowed the enemy to take the city.
- They spend the summer at their mountain retreat.
- The whole team went on a weekend retreat to plan the year ahead.
- The soldiers were forced to retreat under heavy fire.

## Synonyms
- balk
- crawfish
- decline
- recede
- regrade
- retire
- retrograde
- revert
- shrink
- withdraw

## Antonyms
- advance
- charge
- deadlock
- draw
- engage
- fight
- lunge
- storm
- tie

## Derived Forms
- counterretreat
- reretreat
- retreatal
- retreatant
- retreatful
- retreatingness
- retreatism
- retreatist
- retreatlike
- unretreating

## Related Forms
- retract

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: retret
- Root: retrait
- Root: retractus

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

## AI Etymology
Retreat comes from Middle English retret, from Old French retrait or retret, from Latin retractus, from retraho. Doublet of retract, retrait, and ritratto. Modern senses include the act of moving back or away from something dangerous or difficult. and a quiet, private place where you can rest and relax.. The wider word family includes derivatives such as counterretreat, reretreat, retreatal, retreatant, retreatful, and retreatingness and related forms such as retract.

## Topics
- Verbs of Movement

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