decelerate

American  

[dee-sel-uh-reyt] / diˈsɛl əˌreɪt /

Also deaccelerate

verb (used with object)

decelerated, decelerating

1. to decrease the velocity of.

   He decelerates the bobsled when he nears a curve.

2. to slow the rate of increase of.

   efforts to decelerate inflation.

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verb (used without object)

decelerated, decelerating

1. to slow down.

   The plane decelerated just before landing.

decelerate British  

/ diːˈsɛləˌreɪt /

verb

1. to slow down or cause to slow down

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Other Word Forms

• deceleration noun
• decelerator noun

Etymology

Origin of decelerate

First recorded in 1895–1900; de- + (ac)celerate

Explanation

Use the verb decelerate when you want to slow down, like when you realize you are missing important moments in life by racing around, trying to do everything yourself. If you make an effort to decelerate, you might be happier — and healthier. Decelerate is the opposite of accelerate, which means "to go faster." Decelerate often describes slowing a vehicle, but it can relate to nearly anything, like a friendship that begins with hanging out nearly every day but decelerates when you move to a new town or get busy with school and sports. It doesn't mean the friendship is ending or over, just that the pace is now a little slower.

Example Sentences

It's very light but strong enough to produce the drag that we need to decelerate.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

But for fiscal 2026, the company expects same-store sales growth to decelerate to between 2.2% and 2.7%, with the midpoint of that range slightly below the current FactSet consensus of 2.5%.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 12, 2026

"You just decelerate so much before corners," Norris said.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

Shelter costs for Canadians continue to decelerate, rising 1.7% for the latest month, marking the first time in almost five years shelter expenses have advanced by less than 2%.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026

In Darwin's scheme, the rate of change of an organism was generally fixed, while the rate of natural selection could be amplified to accelerate evolution or dampened to decelerate it.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee