To Retard means, your retarded, or you are being a retarded, when/and/or you are "held back", or are holding back something, like forward progress, etc... Or that's what I meant anyway...
Like you'd retard the timing on an engine, ect... Your "set back", or are being or actually are "held back" (from some kind of knowing, etc) or are going a little slow or slower, or are slower, etc...
It does not have to be derogatory, it is just simply the right term to describe it...
And I don't know any other kind of word to actually describe it, etc...
Here is the defintion and maybe that will give you a general idea of what I meant or really mean...?
re·tard
verb
/riˈtärd/
- 1.
delay or hold back in terms of progress, development, or accomplishment.
"our progress was retarded by unforeseen difficulties"
synonyms: delay, slow down, slow up, hold back, set back, keep back, hold up, postpone, put back, detain, decelerate, put a brake on;
hinder, hamper, obstruct, inhibit, impede, handicap, hamstring, curb, check, restrain, restrict, arrest, interfere with, interrupt, encumber, clog;
informalthrow a spanner in the works of;
informalthrow a monkey wrench in the works of;
literarystay, trammel, cumber
"the worst thing that governments can do is to retard this admittedly painful process"
God Bless!