recede

R1E1C3E1D2E1
/ɹɪˈsiːd/

verb

To move back; to retreat; to withdraw.

“to recede conquered territory”

Similar
recurretrocedewithdrawretreatpull awaydraw backpull backretire
Opposite
advance
OriginMiddle English receden ← Middle French receder ← Latin recedere →
UncommonScrabble 9
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Meanings

verbrecede (third-person singular simple present recedes, present participle receding, simple past and past participle receded)

present singular third person recedes · participle present receding · participle past receded · past receded

  1. To move back; to retreat; to withdraw.

    Like the hollow roar / Of tides receding from th' insulted shore.

    1717, John Dryden [et al.], “(please specify |book=I to XV)”, in Ovid’s Metamorphoses in Fifteen Books. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC
    1 more example

    All bodies moved circularly have a perpetual endeavour to recede from the center.

    1725, Richard Bentley, The Folly and Unreasonableness of Atheism

    Synonyms: recur, retrocede

  2. To cede back; to grant or yield again to a former possessor.

    to recede conquered territory

  3. To take back.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo move back; to retreat; to withdraw.

Similar
recurretrocede

More synonyms by meaning

verbpull back or move away or backward

Similar
withdrawretreatpull awaydraw backpull backretiremove backback out
Opposite
advance
Broader
travelgomove

verbretreat

Similar
fall backdrop offfall behind
Broader
regressretrograderetrogress
Also see
draw backdrop offfall backfall behindmove backpull awaypull backretireretreatroll backwithdraw

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinrecedere“to withdraw; to go back”
  2. Middle Frenchreceder
  3. Middle Englishreceden
  4. Englishrecede

Inherited from Middle English receden, from Middle French receder and its etymon Latin recedere (“to withdraw; to go back”), from re- + cedere (“to go”).

More words from Middle English, Middle French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian оттеглям се, отстъпвам
  • оттеглям се (ottegljam se)move back, move away
  • отстъпвам (otstăpvam)move back, move away
  • вдлъбвам се (vdlăbvam se)move back, move away
  • връщам обратно (vrăštam obratno)take back
Catalan recular, retirar-se
  • recularmove back, move away
  • retirar-semove back, move away
  • allunyar-semove back, move away
Czech ustoupit
  • ustoupitmove back, move away
Danish trække sig tilbage
  • trække sig tilbagemove back, move away
Dutch zich terugtrekken, terugnemen
  • zich terugtrekkenmove back, move away
  • terugnementake back
Finnish vetäytyä, perääntyä
  • vetäytyämove back, move away
  • perääntyämove back, move away
French reculer, se retirer
  • reculermove back, move away
  • se retirermove back, move away
German zurückgehen, schwinden
  • zurückgehenmove back, move away
  • schwindenmove back, move away
Irish téigh ar gcúl, cúlaigh
  • téigh ar gcúlmove back, move away
  • cúlaighmove back, move away
Italian recedere
  • recederemove back, move away
Japanese あそびをとる
  • あそびをとる (asobi wo toru)move back, move away
Latin recēdō
  • recēdōmove back, move away
Norwegian trekke seg tilbake
  • trekke seg tilbakemove back, move away
Polish wycofać się, wycofywać się
  • wycofać sięmove back, move away
  • wycofywać sięmove back, move away
Romanian retrage
  • retragemove back, move away
Russian отступа́ть, убыва́ть
  • отступа́ть (otstupátʹ)move back, move away
  • убыва́ть (ubyvátʹ)move back, move away
Spanish alejarse, retroceder
  • alejarsemove back, move away
  • retrocedermove back, move away
  • recejarmove back, move away
  • recularmove back, move away
  • ciarmove back, move away
  • cejarmove back, move away
  • tener entradasmove back, move away
  • caermove back, move away

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with recede

readneedspeedleadfeedagreedindeedspreadexceedreedproceedsucceedweedReidbeaddeedcreedliedmeadgreedbleedtweedheedplead
All rhymes →

Anagrams

decreeCreede
Cite this entry
APA

recede. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/recede

MLA

“recede.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/recede. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “recede,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/recede.

Source: recede on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.