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to retire

to retire

53 3.8
Move away from people to a quieter place
  • verb
  • /rɪˈtaɪər/
translation icon : retirarse
  • You may now retire to reach your decision.
  • quiet and retired

And then Jesus retires with his apostles.

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Examples

  • After the parade, the participants retired to the village hall to listen to speeches.

    Academic text (2001)
  • She retired to her room, turned to the wall...

  • Will the jury please retire to the jury room?

  • - Should we retire into the study ?

  • The jury will now retire.

  • I must beg you to retire.

  • Around midnight, they left, and the rest of the household retired for the night.

    Academic text (1993)
  • I'm retiring to my country estate outside Philadelphia.

  • The night drew on; the wind lessened; one by one, the passengers retired to their cabins.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • After a long day, she decided to retire to her favorite reading nook to relax.

Synonyms

to leave
vsto retire
1.0

To go away from a place, person, or group

specifies moving to a private quiet place rather than general departure or exit
to go away
vsto retire
709 1.0

To leave a place or person and go somewhere else

highlights leaving for privacy and quiet rather than simple departure
to walk away
vsto retire
632 3.5

Leave a person, place, or situation without taking part anymore

carries the idea of going to a private quiet place rather than detachment alone
to withdraw
vsto retire
466 2.8

To stop taking part in a place or activity

emphasizes moving to a private quiet place rather than general reduced involvement
to get away
vsto retire
374 3.2

To go away from work or home to rest and relax

focuses on moving to a private quiet place rather than leisure or holiday reasons
to retreat
vsto retire
235 4.0

To move back from a place or plan to avoid danger

is about leaving specifically to a private quiet place rather than escaping danger
to pull out
vsto retire
206 3.4

To stop being involved in an activity or agreement

involves leaving to a private quiet place rather than just quitting a duty
to depart
vsto retire
176 1.3

To leave a place to start a journey

involves withdrawing to a private quiet place rather than beginning travel
to pull back
vsto retire
162 3.4

To move yourself and things backward from a place, person, or situation

means moving away for privacy or quiet rather than simply stepping back physically
to pull away
vsto retire
86 3.5

To move away from people or a place to create space

is about going to a private quiet place rather than merely creating distance
to bow out
vsto retire
20 4.9

To stop doing a job or role politely

denotes moving to a private quiet place rather than focusing on polite exit
to retreat from
vsto retire
13 4.4

To move back from a place or activity to avoid danger and trouble

is focused on moving to a private quiet place rather than only escaping trouble
to draw back
vsto retire
4 4.1

To move backwards away from something because of fear or surprise

is a voluntary move to a quiet private place rather than a fearful reaction

Antonyms

1.0

Become a member of a group or take part in its activities

676 3.4

To take part in an activity

How Withdrawn

to seclude
2 6.7
to retreat
235 4.0
to retire
53 3.8
to withdraw
466 2.8
to step back
101 3.6

Surface Forms

retire infinitive
retired past
retired past participle
retiring present participle
retires third person singular

Morphology

retire = tire (semi-transparent) = re + tire

This sense ('withdraw to a private place') aligns closely with the core idea of 'drawing back/withdrawing', so learners who see 're-' may infer a leaving/withdrawing meaning even if 'tire' is not transparent.

Etymology

Retire comes from the parts re- 'back' and tract 'pull' (think tractor), so it originally meant 'to pull back'. That is why to retire from a place is to move away or withdraw to a quieter or safer spot.