retire

/rɪˈtaɪə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /rɪˈtaɪər/ (ame, ipa) · /ri-ˈtī(-ə)r/ (ame, mw)

retire — 動詞

  • retirepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • retireshe / she / it
  • retiredpast simple
  • retiring-ing form

1. to stop working in a paid job, generally after reaching an age where you no long

1.動詞不及物B1
釋義

退休

因年齡或健康停止工作

to stop working in a paid job, generally after reaching an age where you no longer wish or need to work, or when ill health forces you to

例句

Lakshmi plans to retire from teaching at the end of this school year.

Lakshmi 計劃在這學年結束時從教職退休。

retire from [job/profession]

The company gave him a watch when he retired after forty-two years of service.

公司在他服務四十二年後退休時，送了他一只手表。

同義詞
  • step down

    less common for regular jobs, more for positions of authority or leadership

  • give up work

    informal; does not imply reaching a set retirement age

  • leave the workforce

    formal; used for a whole population or sector, not one person

反義詞

文法句型

retire + from + [job/company]

用法筆記

Intransitive only in this sense — the job or employer follows the preposition 'from', not the verb directly. Frequently paired with 'at [age]' (retire at 65) or 'in [year]' (retired in 2022).

常見錯誤

❌I retired my job last year.
✅I retired from my job last year.
💡When the meaning is 'stop working', retire is intransitive and needs 'from' for the job or place.

2. to leave a sports event or competition before it ends, typically because of an i

2.動詞不及物B2
釋義

退出比賽

因傷病中止賽事

to leave a sports event or competition before it ends, typically because of an injury or illness that prevents you from continuing

例句

Wei retired from the marathon after twisting his ankle at the fifteen-kilometre mark.

Wei 在十五公里處扭傷腳踝後，退出了馬拉松比賽。

retire from [event] at [distance/time]

The champion cyclist retired from the race with a broken collarbone.

那位冠軍自行車選手因鎖骨骨折而退出比賽。

retire from [event] with [injury]

同義詞
  • withdraw

    slightly more formal; used in the same contexts (withdraw from a race)

  • pull out

    informal; used in both sports and everyday situations

反義詞

文法句型

retire + from + [race/competition]

retire + with + [injury]

用法筆記

Use 'retire from [event]' for the competition being abandoned, or 'retire with [injury/illness]' to specify the cause. Unlike sense 1, this sense never takes a that-clause or infinitive.

常見錯誤

❌The player retired the match due to injury.
✅The player retired from the match due to injury.
💡Retire is intransitive here; the competition follows 'from', not the verb directly.

3. to force a worker to stop doing their job, typically when they arrive at a stand

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

使退休

要求員工離職退休

to force a worker to stop doing their job, typically when they arrive at a standard retirement age or are in poor health

例句

The airline retired all pilots over the age of sixty-five last year.

那家航空公司去年讓所有六十五歲以上的機師退休。

retired + [group] over [age]

The university retired Professor Okafor when he turned seventy.

Okafor 教授滿七十歲時，學校令他退休。

同義詞
  • pension off

    informal; suggests giving a pension at the same time

  • make redundant

    different reason — redundancy is about job elimination, not age

反義詞

文法句型

retire + [person]

be retired + from + [position]

用法筆記

The subject is always an employer, organisation, or institution — never the worker. This sense is frequently used in the passive ('be retired'). Distinguish from sense 1: in sense 1 the worker makes the choice; in sense 3 a higher authority makes the decision.

常見錯誤

❌The company retired him off at sixty.
✅The company retired him at sixty.
💡There is no 'retire off' construction; the verb takes the person as a direct object with no additional particle.

4. in baseball, to put a batter or a side out, ending their turn at hitting

4.動詞及物B2
釋義

使出局

棒球中結束打擊者進攻

in baseball, to put a batter or a side out, ending their turn at hitting

例句

The pitcher retired the first three batters in a row without allowing a single hit.

投手連續讓前三名打者出局，完全沒被擊出安打。

retired [number] batters in a row

Luca retired the side with two strikeouts and a ground ball to shortstop.

Luca 用兩次三振和一次游擊方向滾地球讓該局三名打者全部出局。

retired the side

同義詞
  • put out

    general baseball term; retire is the technical verb

  • strike out

    only when the batter misses three pitches, a subset of retiring

文法句型

retire + [batter/side]

用法筆記

Domain-specific to baseball. The object can be a batter (one player), a side (three batters), or a team. 'Retire the side in order' means all three batters are put out consecutively. Not used in other sports.

常見錯誤

❌The bowler retired the batsman in cricket.
✅The pitcher retired the batter in baseball.
💡This sense is specific to baseball; cricket and other sports use different verbs (e.g. 'dismiss').

5. to take a piece of equipment, vehicle, or system out of use, often because it is

5.動詞及物C1
釋義

停止使用

因老舊或過時而廢除

to take a piece of equipment, vehicle, or system out of use, often because it is old, worn out, or no longer needed

例句

The city retired the old tram system and replaced it with electric buses.

市政府汰除了舊有軌電車系統，改用電動公車。

retire [equipment/system] and replace with [new]

The navy retired the battleship after fifty years of active service.

海軍在該戰艦服役五十年後將它除役。

retire [vehicle] after [duration]

同義詞
  • phase out

    suggests gradual removal over time rather than a single action

  • take out of service

    more formal; common in military and transport contexts

  • decommission

    formal; used for large equipment like ships or power plants

反義詞

文法句型

retire + [equipment/system]

be retired + from + [service]

用法筆記

Frequently used in the passive (a plane is retired, coins are retired). The object is typically machinery, vehicles, currency, equipment, or computer systems — never people. Use 'retire from service' for a more formal tone.

常見錯誤

❌They retired the old worker.
✅They retired the old machine.
💡This sense applies to objects, not people. For forcing a worker to leave, use sense 3.

6. to exit a gathering or crowded location and go to a more peaceful place for priv

6.動詞不及物B2
釋義

退離

離開到安靜或私密處

to exit a gathering or crowded location and go to a more peaceful place for privacy

例句

After dinner, the host retired to the study to read his newspaper in peace.

晚餐後，主人退到書房安靜地看報紙。

retired to [place] to [activity]

The jury retired to a private room to discuss their verdict.

陪審團退到一間私密的房間討論裁決。

retired to [room] to [purpose]

同義詞
  • withdraw

    similar formality level; more common in official or military contexts

  • excuse oneself

    polite; focuses on the social act of leaving a group

反義詞

文法句型

retire + to + [place]

retire + from + [place]

用法筆記

Formal register — more common in written narratives and official contexts than in everyday speech. Use 'retire to [destination]' to state where the person goes, or 'retire from [origin]' to state what place they leave.

常見錯誤

❌He retired from the living room to the kitchen.
✅He left the living room and went to the kitchen.
💡In everyday contexts, 'leave' or 'go to' sounds more natural. 'Retire' in this sense is too formal for casual situations.

7. to go to your bed to sleep for the night

7.動詞不及物B2
釋義

就寢

上床睡覺

to go to your bed to sleep for the night

例句

The guests retired for the night around eleven o'clock.

客人們大約十一點就寢。

retired for the night at [time]

Sivan retired to her room after a long day of travel.

Sivan 經過一天的長途旅行後回到房間就寢。

同義詞
  • go to bed

    neutral register; the everyday equivalent

  • turn in

    informal; common in conversational English

反義詞

文法句型

retire + for the night

retire + to + [bedroom]

用法筆記

Old-fashioned or formal register. More common in written narratives, historical fiction, and formal invitations than everyday conversation. In modern speech, 'go to bed' is strongly preferred. The fixed phrase 'retire for the night' is the most common use.

常見錯誤

❌I'm tired, I think I'll retire.
✅I'm tired, I think I'll go to bed.
💡In casual speech, 'go to bed' sounds natural; 'retire' sounds overly formal or old-fashioned.

8. to pull back from combat or a hazardous situation, in an organised way and often

8.動詞不及物C1
釋義

撤退

從戰場或危險中後撤

to pull back from combat or a hazardous situation, in an organised way and often to avoid defeat or further loss

例句

The general ordered the troops to retire to a safer position behind the river.

將軍命令部隊撤退到河後方一個更安全的位置。

retire to [position] (military)

The soldiers retired from the front line when supplies ran low.

士兵們在補給不足時從前線撤退。

同義詞
  • retreat

    more common in modern English; can suggest urgency or disorder, unlike retire which implies an organised move

  • fall back

    informal military language; 'fall back to a new position'

  • withdraw

    neutral; used in both military and non-military contexts

反義詞

文法句型

retire + from + [battle/front]

retire + to + [position]

用法筆記

Formal register, primarily historical or military. In modern English, 'retreat' is more common for the same meaning. 'Retire' in this sense suggests a more planned, orderly withdrawal, while 'retreat' can imply urgency or flight.