Decelerating

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The process involved in diminishing the speed of something in motion
2. The act of making an object or person move more slowly than before
3. A process in which the rate of movement decreases over time

Etymology: "Decelerating" is built from a Latin-derived verb, "accelerate," with the prefix "de-" attached. "Accelerate" comes from the Latin "accelerare," meaning "to hasten," which combines "ad-" (toward) with "celer" (swift). The reversing prefix "de-" was added to it in the late 19th century, when English speakers needed a precise term for slowing motion. The word is a clear example of how English builds opposites by attaching prefixes to existing verbs. "Decelerate" therefore means to reverse acceleration, bringing something from a faster speed to a slower one. The "de-" prefix is the same one found in words like "deflate" and "decompose," where it signals reversal or removal.

Synonyms: slowing, decreasing speed, reducing, diminishing, retarding

Antonyms: accelerating, speeding, hastening, quickening, rushing