retreat
/ɹɪˈtɹiːt/
retreat noun: the act of pulling back or withdrawing, as from something dangerous, or unpleasant. Also the alternative form of re-treat.
Noun
retreat (plural retreats)
- The act of pulling back or withdrawing, as from something dangerous, or unpleasant.
- In a retreat he outruns any lackey.c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward]...
- The act of reversing direction and receding from a forward position.
- Withdrawal by a military force from a dangerous position or from enemy attack.
- The general opted for a swift retreat because he saw his troops were vastly outnumbered.
- A peaceful, quiet place affording privacy or security.
- a mountain retreat
- "[…] But come, Lady, we are too near the mouth of the cavern; let us seek its inmost recesses. […]" "Though all your actions are noble, […] is it fitting that I should accompany you alone into these perplexed retreats? Should we be found together, what would a censorious world think of my conduct?"1764 December 24 (indicated as 1765), Onuphrio Muralto, translated by William Marshal [pseudonyms; Horace Walpole], The Castle of Otranto, […], London: […] Tho[mas] Lownds […], →OCLC
- A peaceful, quiet place in which to urinate and defecate: an outhouse; a lavatory.
- A period of retirement, seclusion, or solitude, especially for meditation, prayer, or study.
- We both need a week retreat after those two stressful years working in the city.
- a Buddhist retreat
- A signal for a military withdrawal.
- A bugle call or drumbeat signaling the lowering of the flag at sunset, as on a military base.
- to-morrow the Royal Standard will be hoisted at Edinburgh Castle from reveille to retreat.1898, Kate Douglas Wiggin, chapter 8, in Penelope’s Progress […], Boston, Mass.; New York, N.Y.: Houghton, Mifflin and Company […], →OCLC
- A military ceremony to lower the flag.
- The move of a piece from a threatened position.
Verb
retreat (third-person singular simple present retreats, present participle retreating, simple past and past participle retreated)
- To withdraw from a position, go back.
- To shrink back due to generally warmer temperatures. (of a glacier)
- To slope back.
- a retreating forehead
- His face was a fair weakness, his chin retreated, and his hair lay in crisp, almost flaxen curls on his low forehead; his eyes were rather large, pale blue, and blankly staring.1898, H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, London: William Heinemann, page 111
Proper noun capitalized: Retreat
Retreat
- A locality in the Tamworth council area, north eastern New South Wales, Australia.
- A locality in George Town council area and the City of Launceston, northern Tasmania, Australia.
Also used as
retreat is also the alternative form of re-treat.
retreat meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and Urdu
retreat in Hindi
- पीछे हटना
retreat in Tamil
- to withdraw military forces
- பின்வாங்கு piṉvāṅku
retreat in Marathi
- माघार, मागे हटणे
retreat in Urdu
- پیچھے ہٹنا, پسپائی
More languagesFewer languages
- retreat in Bengali
- পশ্চাদপসরণ, পশ্চাদপসরণ করুন, পশ্চাদপসরণ করতে
- retreat in Telugu
- తిరోగమనం, తిరోగమనము, తిరోగమన
- retreat in Malayalam
- പിൻവാങ്ങൽ, പിൻവാങ്ങാൻ, പിൻവാങ്ങുവാൻ
- retreat in Kannada
- ಹಿಮ್ಮೆಟ್ಟುವಿಕೆ, ಹಿಮ್ಮೆಟ್ಟಿಸಿ, ಹಿಮ್ಮೆಟ್ಟಿಸುವಿಕೆ
- retreat in Punjabi
- ਪਿੱਛੇ ਹਟਣਾ, ਪਿੱਛੇ ਹਟਨਾ
- retreat in Gujarati
- પીછેહઠ, પીછેહઠ કરો, પીછેહઠ કરવા માટે
- retreat in Odia
- ପଶ୍ଚାଦପସରଣ କରନ୍ତୁ, ପଛକୁ ହଟିବା
- retreat in Nepali
- रिट्रीट, रिट्रिट गर्नुहोस्, रिट्रीट गर्नुहोस्
- retreat in Arabic
- تَرَاجُع tarājuʕ, اِنْسِحَاب insiḥāb, تَرَاجَعَ tarājaʕa
- retreat in Indonesian
- mundur, retret, khalwat
- retreat in Persian
- عقبنشینی 'aqab-nešini, عقبنشینی کردن 'aqab-nešini kardan
Examples of retreat in a sentence
- […] he built his son a house of pleasure, on purpose to keep him out of harm's way; and spared neither art nor cost to make it a delicious retreat.1692, Roger L’Estrange, “[The Fables of Æsop, &c.] Fab[le] 100. An Old Man and a Lion.”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists...
- That pleasing shade they sought, a soft retreat / From sudden April showers, a shelter from the heat.1700, [John] Dryden, “The Flower and the Leaf: Or, The Lady in the Arbour. A Vision.”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob...
- Rolliver, were gathered on this evening nearly a dozen persons, all seeking vinous bliss; all old inhabitants of the nearer end of Marlott, and frequenters of this retreat.1891, Thomas Hardy, chapter IV, in Tess of the d’Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented […], volume I, London: James R[ipley]...
- Obviously she is trying to blend in at the über–bachelor party that is the GoJo corporate retreat in Norway.2023 April 24, Spencer Kornhaber, “Welcome to the Creepiest Corporate Retreat Ever”, in The Atlantic:
Synonyms of retreat
10 more synonymsFewer synonyms
Antonyms
Forms of retreat
| Noun | |
|---|---|
| plural | retreats |
| Verb | |
| third-person singular present | retreats |
| present participle | retreating |
| past participle | retreated |
| past | retreated |
Origin of retreat
From Middle English retret, from Old French retrait or retret, from Latin retractus, from retraho. Doublet of retract, retrait, and ritratto.
From re- + treat.
Words formed from retreat
Phrases with retreat
Words that rhyme with retreat
48 more rhymesFewer rhymes
- entreat
- fleet
- treat
- complete
- conceit
- repeat
- concrete
- discrete
- bittersweet
- suite
- cheat
- cleat
- deceit
- greet
- unseat
- compete
- defeat
- delete
- effete
- elite
- escheat
- indiscrete
- leet
- pleat
- skeet
- sleet
- accrete
- beet
- bleat
- gleet
- ifrit
- incomplete
- overeat
- overheat
- petite
- replete
- superheat
- teat
- tweet
- wheat
- yeet
- Bereshit
- Bow Street
- Crete
- discreet
- downbeat
- jeet
- keet
Questions about retreat
- What does retreat mean?
- Retreat means the act of pulling back or withdrawing, as from something dangerous, or unpleasant.
- What is retreat in Hindi?
- Retreat in Hindi is पीछे हटना. See Retreat meaning in Hindi.
- How do you use retreat in a sentence?
- […] he built his son a house of pleasure, on purpose to keep him out of harm's way; and spared neither art nor cost to make it a delicious retreat.
- What part of speech is retreat?
- Retreat can be a noun, a verb or a proper noun.
- How do you pronounce retreat?
- Retreat is pronounced /ɹɪˈtɹiːt/.
- What is the plural of retreat?
- The plural of retreat is retreats.
Words near retreat in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: retreat (page history and authors); Retreat (page history and authors); retreat (Hindi, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); retreat (Marathi, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); retreat (Urdu, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); retreat (Bengali, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); retreat (Telugu, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); retreat (Malayalam, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); retreat (Kannada, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); retreat (Punjabi, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); retreat (Gujarati, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); retreat (Odia, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); retreat (Nepali, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: en-us-retreat.ogg.
Cite this entry: “retreat.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/retreat. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.