- present participle of retire.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of retiring
Explanation
If you are a retiring person, you avoid being at the center of attention. You can often be found in the library and other quiet places, and if someone compliments you, you're likely to blush and change the subject. If you call someone retiring, it isn't necessarily clear whether you mean it as a compliment or something closer to a put-down. Usually, the word is used to describe someone who is shy or modest to a fault. But it can also be used to suggest that someone isn't arrogant, which is usually a good thing. And, of course, retiring can also refer to someone who stepped down from their last job and doesn't intend to work anymore.
Vocabulary lists containing retiring
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Republican Jon Bonck, in retiring Rep. Wesley Hunt’s seat, is worth about $2.3 million to $8.7 million.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
You may have read that Fidelity says a 65-year-old retiring this year can expect to spend an average of $185,500 on health expenses through retirement, not including long-term-care or dental costs.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
Alaska also plans to replace Hawaiian Airlines’s retiring Boeing 717 fleet with Hawaiian-branded Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with an enhanced onboard experience and Honolulu-based pilots and flight attendants.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Brock Stewart had a standout performance, entering in the fifth with no outs and the bases loaded and retiring three straight batters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
The retiring room is empty; we only ever use it at lunch or the beginning of shift.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
