regressive

R1E1G2R1E1S1S1I1V4E1

adjective

That tends to return, revert or regress.

Opposite
Less commonScrabble 14

Meanings

adjectiveregressive (comparative more regressive, superlative most regressive)

comparative more regressive · superlative most regressive

  1. That tends to return, revert or regress.

    A contributing factor to this slightly regressive femininity may have been the sugary fabrics (silver lamé, tulle over sequins) and the meringuelike puffs and baby Googums bows at the neck.

    2007 February 6, Cathy Horyn, “Young Spirits, One of Them an Old Master”, in The New York Times
    2 more examples

    Some say history repeats itself, that time is cyclical. Others cling to the notion of progress and change over time. Apparently Nancy Walker marches to a different drummer — marches backwards, that is. Her ideas on art and society seem quaint and odd on the one hand and, on the other, petty and regressive.

    1981 December 27, Wade Nichols, “Victorian Imperialism”, in Gay Community News, volume 9, number 23, page 5

    He likes experimenting with flamboyant clothes! That’s it! It’s weird and regressive to think that means he is making a statement about his sexual orientation or gender identity. Let the man wear his “clowncore” jumpsuits in peace.

    2023 February 8, Arwa Mahdawi, “People like Harry Styles don’t get awards? Pah!”, in G2 (w:The Guardian), London, page 3
  2. Whose rate decreases as the taxed amount increases.

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite

adjective(of taxes) adjusted so that the rate decreases as the amount of income increases

Opposite

adjectiveopposing progress; returning to a former less advanced state

Opposite

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinregressīvus
  2. Englishregressive

Borrowed from Latin regressīvus, equivalent to regress + -ive.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian обратен, регресивен
  • обратен (obraten)that tends to return, revert, or regress
  • регресивен (regresiven)that tends to return, revert, or regress
Czech regresivní
  • regresivníwhose rate decreases as the amount increases
French régressif
  • régressifthat tends to return, revert, or regress
German regressiv
  • regressivwhose rate decreases as the amount increases
Hindi प्रतिगामी
  • प्रतिगामी (pratigāmī)that tends to return, revert, or regress
Irish aischéimnitheach, cúlchéimnitheach
  • aischéimnitheachthat tends to return, revert, or regress
  • cúlchéimnitheachthat tends to return, revert, or regress
  • cúlchéimnitheachwhose rate decreases as the amount increases
  • aischéimnitheachwhose rate decreases as the amount increases
Italian regressivo
  • regressivowhose rate decreases as the amount increases
Polish regresywny
  • regresywnywhose rate decreases as the amount increases
Russian регресси́вный, регресси́вный
  • регресси́вный (regressívnyj)that tends to return, revert, or regress
  • регресси́вный (regressívnyj)whose rate decreases as the amount increases
Ukrainian регреси́вний
  • регреси́вний (rehresývnyj)that tends to return, revert, or regress

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with regressive

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

regressive. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/regressive

MLA

“regressive.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/regressive. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “regressive,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/regressive.

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