retiring

[ri-tahyuhr-ing]

adjective

1. that retires.

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

   Synonyms: timid, bashful, diffident

retiring

/ rɪˈtaɪərɪŋ /

adjective

1. shunning contact with others; shy; reserved

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of retiring¹

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

Example Sentences

He later had spells with Bournemouth and Danish side Aarhus before retiring aged 30.

Read more on BBC

After retiring as a player, Stojkovic was briefly chairman of Red Star Belgrade, before turning to coaching first Nagoya, and later Chinese side Guangzhou.

Read more on Barron's

"Respite for London's working horses is where we started and over time we started retiring military horses."

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NEM 2.19%increase; green up pointing triangle chief executive, Tom Palmer, is retiring after more than five years at the helm of the mining company.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

To balance those competing forces, Oklahoma is searching for a replacement for the retiring Joe Castiglione, the Sooners’ athletic director of nearly three decades.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal