retrograde

verb

get worse or fall back to a previous condition

go back over

move back

move in a direction contrary to the usual one

move backward in an orbit, of celestial bodies

adjective

moving or directed or tending in a backward direction or contrary to a previous direction

going from better to worse

of amnesia

moving from east to west on the celestial sphere

Roots

retroretro- · Latin · backward gradior-grad · Latin · step, walk

Synonyms for retrograde

retrogressiveadj retraladj retrogressv regressv backwardadv regressiveadj retreatn reactionaryadj reversev

Synonyms & related words for retrograde

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of retrograde — including retrogressive, retral, retrogress, regress, backward, regressive. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to retrograde

Explore words related to retrograde — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include retrogradely, regrede, retrogradation, regredience, retrogression, regressively, prograde, unreconstructed. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for retrograde

Common synonyms for retrograde include retrogressive, retral, retrogress, regress, backward, regressive, retreat, reactionary — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does retrograde come from?

The word retrograde breaks down into 2 roots of Latin origin: retro-, from Latin retro (“backward”); and -grad, from Latin gradior (“step, walk”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.