decelerate

verb

de·​cel·​er·​ate (ˌ)dē-ˈse-lə-ˌrāt How to pronounce decelerate (audio)
decelerated; decelerating

transitive verb

1
: to reduce the speed of : slow down
decelerate a car
2
: to decrease the rate of progress of
decelerate growth
decelerate soil erosion

intransitive verb

: to move at decreasing speed
deceleration noun
decelerator noun

Examples of decelerate in a Sentence

she decelerated the car as we entered the school zone
Recent Examples on the Web However, as economic growth decelerates, even a minor adverse event could potentially trigger a downturn. Orphe Divounguy | The Center Square Contributor, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 9 Sep. 2024 Chipotle shares pulled back of 7% comes as decelerating trends and a sector rotation already impacted Chipotle's multiple. Hakyung Kim,fred Imbert, CNBC, 14 Aug. 2024 Hyundai’s new i-PEDAL enables a one-pedal driving mode allowing drivers to accelerate, decelerate and stop using only the accelerator pedal when desired. Josh Max, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2024 David Paul Morris/Bloomberg U.S. hiring decelerated sharply last month in the face of high interest rates as employers added a weak 114,000 jobs. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for decelerate 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'decelerate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

de- + accelerate

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of decelerate was in 1899

Dictionary Entries Near decelerate

Cite this Entry

“Decelerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decelerate. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

decelerate

verb
de·​cel·​er·​ate (ˈ)dē-ˈsel-ə-ˌrāt How to pronounce decelerate (audio)
decelerated; decelerating
: to move or cause to move at decreasing speed : slow down
deceleration noun

Medical Definition

decelerate

verb
de·​cel·​er·​ate (ˈ)dē-ˈsel-ə-ˌrāt How to pronounce decelerate (audio)
decelerated; decelerating

transitive verb

: to reduce the speed of : slow down

intransitive verb

: to move at decreasing speed
deceleration noun

More from Merriam-Webster on decelerate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!