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.
Retiring at 59, your broad aim would be to ensure your retirement nest egg lasts into your late 80s.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026
Retiring in 2019, Suzuki broke several records during his 28-season career.
From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026
Retiring abroad or moving to another country part-time can save on legions of health costs, including drugs.
From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026
Retiring early is also a favorite topic among the students in the personal-finance class at Winooski High School in Vermont, according to teacher Courtney Poquette.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 29, 2025
Quite suddenly, with no warning at all, she remembered what it was that she’d heard the Palmerian Professor saying in the Retiring Room all that time ago.
From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman
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.
