retrograde
re·tro·grade/ˈɹɛtɹəˌɡɹeɪd/adjective, adverb, noun, verb
retrograde is spelled R-E-T-R-O-G-R-A-D-E: 10 letters and 3 syllables (re·tro·grade). It appears 1.2 times per million words in written English, the 25,751st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, retrograde means “Directed or moving backwards in relation to the normal or previous direction of travel; retreating” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in retrograde?
| Letters | 10: R-E-T-R-O-G-R-A-D-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: re·tro·grade |
| In writing | 1.2 times per million words; the 25,751st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is retrograde?
Retrograde appears 1.2 times per million words in written English, the 25,751st most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce retrograde?
- UK /ˈɹɛtɹə(ʊ)ɡɹeɪd/
- US /ˈɹɛtɹəˌɡɹeɪd/
Retrograde has 3 syllables, split re·tro·grade in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-retrograde.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of retrograde
- more retrograde comparative
- most retrograde superlative
- retrogrades plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- retrograding participle, present
- retrograded participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does retrograde mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
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.
- 3
Of an animal: appearing to regress to a less developed form during its lifetime.
- 4
Of the order of something: inverse, reverse.
- 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
archaicInvolving a return to or a retracing of a previous course of travel.
- 8
archaicCounterproductive to a desired outcome; contradictory, contrary.
adverb
- 1
In a reverse direction; backwards.
noun
- 1
A movement backwards or opposite to the intended or normal motion.
- 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
archaicOne 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.
- 2
To change (minerals, rocks, etc.) metamorphically through a decrease in pressure or temperature.
- 3
obsoleteTo cause (someone or something) to revert to an inferior or less developed state.
- 4
To revert to an inferior or less developed state; to decline, to regress.
- 5
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.
- 6
Of a land feature: to travel in the direction of the land or upstream due to erosion.
- 7
To retreat or withdraw from a position.
- 8
obsoleteTo move backwards; to recede.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate retrograde?
Wiktionary records one abbreviation of retrograde: retrog..
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Retrograde in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense or moving backwards in relation to the normal or previous direction of travel:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | rétrograde |
| German | retrograd |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.