WordLens

retire

1 of 1verb
/rɪˈtaɪr/
Forms:retiring,retired,retired
1

to leave your job and stop working, usually on reaching a certain age

A2
  • After working for 30 years, she finally retired.
  • He plans to retire next year and travel the world.
  • It's common for people to retire and move to warmer climates.
  • Many athletes retire in their early thirties.
  • Many people look forward to the day they can retire.
2

to go to bed or prepare to sleep

  • After a long day, she decided to retire early for the night.
  • It's getting late; I think it's time to retire for the evening.
  • He usually retires at 10 p.m. to ensure a good night's sleep.
  • They decided to retire early and get some much-needed rest.
  • After reading for a while, she retired for the night.
Antonyms:
3

to stop participating in professional or competitive sports

  • After winning the championship, he decided to retire from competitive tennis.
  • The athlete retired at the peak of her career to focus on other pursuits.
  • Injuries forced him to retire from professional football earlier than expected.
  • The swimmer retired after setting multiple world records during her career.
  • The basketball star retired, leaving behind an impressive legacy.
Synonyms:
4

to withdraw or move back from a current position, often in response to a threat or change in conditions

  • The explorers decided to retire from the mountain as the storm intensified.
  • At the first sign of an avalanche, the climbers had to retire to a safer location.
  • When the volcano showed signs of erupting, the villagers chose to retire to the lowlands.
  • During the hurricane, residents were advised to retire from the coastal areas to avoid the worst of the storm.
  • As night fell and temperatures dropped, the hikers retired to their base camp.
Antonyms:
5

to remove something from regular use or operation

transitive
  • The airline retired its oldest planes after decades of service.
  • The library retired several outdated books from its collection.
  • After a major malfunction, the machine was retired from use.
  • He retired his favorite pair of shoes when they became too worn out.
  • Once the software became obsolete, they retired it in favor of a newer version.
6

to move away or retreat to a specific place, often for privacy, rest, or solitude

  • After the meeting, he retired to his study to review the documents.
  • She retired from the noisy party to the garden for some peace and quiet.
  • He retired to his cabin in the mountains to work on his novel.
  • Following the long journey, they retired to their hotel room to rest.
  • She often retires to the library when she needs to concentrate.
Synonyms:
7

to remove someone from their job or position, typically due to age, tenure, or retirement policies

transitive
  • After many years of service, they decided to retire the CEO from his position.
  • She was retired from her role as manager after reaching the company’s retirement age.
  • The board decided to retire the director and appoint a new leader.
  • After the employee turned 65, they retired him from his job at the factory.
  • He had been with the organization for decades before they retired him last year.
8

to remove a bill, note, or currency from active use or circulation

transitive
  • The government decided to retire the old banknotes from circulation.
  • After a certain period, they retired the outdated currency.
  • The central bank plans to retire the bills with a high risk of counterfeiting.
  • The bank has begun to retire older notes to make room for the new ones.
  • They announced that they would retire the old $5 bill next month.
9

to stop showing enthusiasm or involvement in something

  • She retired from the hobby after it no longer excited her.
  • He quickly retired from the discussion when it became repetitive.
  • She retired from the committee as she felt it no longer aligned with her goals.
  • Many fans retired from following the series when it changed direction.
  • Over time, he retired from collecting stamps as it began to feel tedious.
Synonyms: