retrograde

Meanings

Plural: retrogrades

Verb

move backward in an orbit, of celestial bodies
move in a direction contrary to the usual one
move back
- "The glacier retrogrades"
go back over
- "retrograde arguments"
get worse or fall back to a previous condition
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.
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.

Adjective

moving from east to west on the celestial sphere; or--for planets--around the sun in a direction opposite to that of the Earth
of amnesia; affecting time immediately preceding trauma

Adjective Satellite

going from better to worse
moving or directed or tending in a backward direction or contrary to a previous direction

Adj

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

Adv

In a reverse direction; backwards.

Noun

A movement backwards or opposite to the intended or normal motion.
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.
One who opposes social reform, favouring the maintenance of the status quo; a conservative.
One who reneges on an agreement, or switches loyalties; a rebel, a renegade.
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.

Origin / Etymology

The adjective is derived from Middle English retrograd, retrograde (“of a planet: appearing to move in a direction opposite to the order of the zodiac signs, retrograde; unfortunate”), from Middle French retrograde and Old French retrograde (“of a celestial object: appearing to move backwards; moving backwards; reverse; palindromic; opposed to change”) (modern French rétrograde), and from their etymon Latin retrōgradus (“of a celestial object: appearing to move backwards”) (compare Late Latin retrōgradus (“reverse; palindromic”)), from retrō (“back, backwards; behind; before, formerly”) + gradus (“pace, step”). By surface analysis, retro- + -grade.
The adverb and noun are derived from the adjective.

Synonyms

hash over, mossback, mossyback, reactionary, regress, rehash, retral, retreat, retrogradely, retrogress, retrogressive, traditionalist

Antonyms

anterograde, direct, liberal, prograde, progress, progressist, reformist

Scrabble Score: 12

retrograde is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
retrograde is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
retrograde is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 13

retrograde is a valid Words With Friends word