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

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.

Example Sentences

He returned to the airwaves briefly last year before retiring in February.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

Yamamoto righted himself by retiring the next 11 batters he faced, but the Dodgers lost for the third time in four games.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

You invest that $650, let it compound over time, and before you know it, you’re a multimillionaire retiring by 60.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 21, 2026

As with his beloved Florida citrus, Rick Dantzler’s on the way out—age 70, retiring from the Citrus Research and Development Foundation, which, after losing its state funding, was getting absorbed by another group anyway.

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026

I’m afraid my equipment conversations nearly always ended up like that somehow, with the talker retiring with hurt feelings and a piece of formerly prized equipment cradled to his chest.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson