retiring

American  

[ri-tahyuhr-ing] / rɪˈtaɪər ɪŋ /

adjective

1. that retires.

2. withdrawing from contact with others; reserved; shy.

   Synonyms:

   timid, bashful, diffident

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retiring British  

/ rɪˈtaɪərɪŋ /

adjective

1. shunning contact with others; shy; reserved

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Other Word Forms

• nonretiring adjective
• retiringly adverb
• retiringness noun
• unretiring adjective

Etymology

Origin of retiring

First recorded in 1540–50; retire + -ing ²

Example Sentences

Lopes continued to play well, not retiring until 1987 at age 42.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

“It all stems from getting his butt kicked against stronger, more physical people,” said Travis Diener, who spent parts of five seasons in the NBA before retiring to the CGL.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

There is always a lot to consider when retiring abroad, but then again, the same can be said of retiring here in the U.S.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

"I don't want to change and there are people who - are actively retiring because of this change - and because of the lack of information which is coming our direction," he warned.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

I lingered some minutes, being unaccustomed to retiring from a chamber without permission or direction; but our hostess having disappeared, I passed above-stairs to see what strife had occasioned such an outburst.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson