retrograde

Fetched 2026-11-03 (live).

Synonyms: petrograd, antrograde, retrograded, retrogrades

Antonyms: petrograd, antrograde, retrograded, retrogrades

Related words from Datamuse; suggestions, not definitions.

Adjective

1. Directed or moving backwards in relation to the normal or previous direction of travel; retreating.
2. Reverting to an inferior or less developed state; declining, regressing. Of an animal: appearing to regress to a less developed form during its lifetime.
3. Of an animal: appearing to regress to a less developed form during its lifetime.
4. Of the order of something: inverse, reverse. Having a passage of music played backwards.
5. Having a passage of music played backwards.
6. Of ideas or a person: opposing social reform, favouring the maintenance of the status quo; conservative.
   • retrograde ideas, morals, etc.
7. Involving a return to or a retracing of a previous course of travel. Counterproductive to a desired outcome; contradictory, contrary.
8. Involving a return to or a retracing of a previous course of travel.
9. Counterproductive to a desired outcome; contradictory, contrary.
10. Of a celestial body orbiting another: in the opposite direction to the orbited body's spin.
    • Mercury retrograde
11. Of a celestial body orbiting another: in the opposite direction to the orbited body's spin.
12. Of a celestial body: seeming to move across the sky in the opposite direction from its ordinary movement.
    • Mercury retrograde
13. Of a metamorphic change: resulting from a decrease in pressure or temperature.
14. Of amnesia: relating to the period leading up to the episode which caused it.
15. Of verse: reading the same forwards or backwards; palindromic.

Adverb

1. In a reverse direction; backwards.

Noun

1. A movement backwards or opposite to the intended or normal motion. The apparent movement of a planet across the sky in the opposite direction from its ordinary movement.
2. The apparent movement of a planet across the sky in the opposite direction from its ordinary movement.
3. One who opposes social reform, favouring the maintenance of the status quo; a conservative.
4. One who reneges on an agreement, or switches loyalties; a rebel, a renegade.
5. The reversal of a melody so that what is played first in the original melody is played last, and what is played last in the original melody is played first.

Verb

1. To cause (a land feature such as a coastline or waterfall) to undergo retrogradation, that is, to travel in the direction of the land or upstream due to erosion. To change (minerals, rocks, etc.) metamorphically through a decrease in pressure or temperature. To cause (someone or something) to revert to an inferior or less developed state.
2. To cause (a land feature such as a coastline or waterfall) to undergo retrogradation, that is, to travel in the direction of the land or upstream due to erosion.
3. To change (minerals, rocks, etc.) metamorphically through a decrease in pressure or temperature.
4. To cause (someone or something) to revert to an inferior or less developed state.
5. To revert to an inferior or less developed state; to decline, to regress. Of a celestial body, especially a planet: to show retrogradation; to seem to move across the sky in the opposite direction from its ordinary movement. Of a land feature: to travel in the direction of the land or upstream due to erosion. To retreat or withdraw from a position. To move backwards; to recede. Of the telling of an incident, etc.: to move to an earlier time.
6. To revert to an inferior or less developed state; to decline, to regress.
7. Of a celestial body, especially a planet: to show retrogradation; to seem to move across the sky in the opposite direction from its ordinary movement.
8. Of a land feature: to travel in the direction of the land or upstream due to erosion.
9. To retreat or withdraw from a position.
10. To move backwards; to recede. Of the telling of an incident, etc.: to move to an earlier time.
11. To move backwards; to recede.
12. Of the telling of an incident, etc.: to move to an earlier time.

Source: Wiktionary · CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wiktionary) · cached copy, not a rewrite.