退く・斥く|しりぞくshirizoku[3]nakadaka (mid-high)

1. godan verb, intransitive verbto step back; to move back; to retreat
2. godan verb, intransitive verbto withdraw (from the presence of a superior); to leave; to exit
3. godan verb, intransitive verbto resign; to retire; to quit
   おじは去年きょねん教職きょうしょくを退しりぞいたが、それでも何なんとか大学だいがくでの地位ちいにしがみつこうとした。↗

   My uncle retired from teaching last year, but he still managed to hang onto a position at the university.
4. godan verb, intransitive verbto concede

• Synonym後ずさりあとずさりNeutralStepping backward while still facing forward, often shrinking back in fear; 「退く」 covers both backing away and resigning or withdrawing.
• Synonym退役たいえきWrittenMilitary term for leaving active service, said of career soldiers and also of warships or aircraft; 「退く」 is broader: stepping back, taking leave, resigning.
• SynonymリタイアNeutralA loanword for retiring or dropping out of a race mid-way; common in speech, while 「退く」 is more written and formal.
• Synonym引き下がるひきさがるNeutralBacking down or giving up one's stance, as in 「素直に引き下がる」; 「退く」 can also mean physically stepping back or resigning.
• Synonym退去たいきょWrittenLeaving or vacating a place, often in 「退去命令」 or 「国外退去」; 「退く」 lacks the nuance of leaving under orders.
• Synonym退散たいさんWrittenA crowd breaking up or fleeing; 「退く」 means stepping back or withdrawing, and its subject can be an individual or an army, with no nuance of scattering.
• Synonym退出たいしゅつWrittenFormal: taking one's leave from a superior's presence or a formal setting; 「退席」 merely covers leaving one's seat, without that respectful nuance.
• Synonym退席たいせきWrittenLeaving one's seat or stepping out midway, as at a meeting or banquet; 「退く」 is not tied to seats and can refer to posts or positions.
• Synonym後ずさるあとずさるNeutralThe verb form: backing up a few steps, or figuratively shrinking from a difficulty; unlike 「退く」 it never means retiring or resigning.
• RelatedさがるNeutralThe most common word for stepping back or withdrawing, and it also means descending; 「退く」 is more literary and can mean resigning or leaving office.
• Related辞めるやめるNeutralThe everyday word for quitting or leaving a job; 「退く」 is more formal, typically 「第一線を退く」 or 「職を退く」, with a politer, weightier tone.
• Related立ち去るたちさるNeutralLeaving the scene, with the emphasis on walking away; 「退く」 usually means stepping back or withdrawing from a post or a superior's presence.
• Related辞任じにんWrittenFormal prose: resigning a post, common in news reports; 「退く」 is a native verb that can broadly mean stepping back or bowing out.
• Related辞職じしょくWrittenResigning the job one holds, as in 「内閣総辞職」; 「退く」 is not limited to work and can also mean moving back.
• Related後退こうたいWrittenA Sino-Japanese noun for moving backward or an economic recession; 「退く」 is a native verb that also covers resigning and taking one's leave.
• Related退陣たいじんWrittenA top leader resigning or stepping down, mostly in politics and upper management; 「退く」 has much broader uses.
• Related辞すじすWrittenA literary form for taking one's leave, resigning a post, or declining; in daily speech say 「辞める」 or 「失礼する」.
• Related引退いんたいNeutralWithdrawing for good from a long-pursued career or activity, like athletes and entertainers; 「退く」 can be a temporary or partial exit.
• Related離れるはなれるNeutralLeaving a place or parting from something, also used for leaving a job; 「退く」 stresses stepping back or quitting a position.
• Related隠居いんきょWrittenLiving a quiet life after retirement, formerly also surrendering headship of the family; 「退く」 only covers stepping down, not life afterward.
• Related去るさるNeutralLeaving a place or person, and also time passing; 「退く」 stresses backing away or stepping down from a post.
• Related辞するじするWrittenFormal: taking one's leave or resigning, as in 「職を辞する」; weightier than 「退く」 and never means stepping backward.
• Antonym進むすすむNeutralThe direct opposite: moving forward, and also making progress or rising in rank.
• Antonym前進するWrittenPressing forward, the opposite of 「退く」's backward sense; mostly in written prose or figurative talk of progress.

Everyday stepping back: 「下がる」; quitting a job: 「辞める」. 「退く」 itself leans written and formal, typically 「第一線を退く」. A top leader stepping down is 「退陣」; leaving a career for good is 「引退」. Others pick up narrower shades: 「後ずさる」 backing up or shrinking from difficulty, 「立ち去る」 walking off, 「辞任」/「辞職」 formal resignations, 「退去」 vacating a place, 「退席」 leaving a seat, 「リタイア」 dropping out of a race, and 「進む」 as the direct opposite.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 後あとへ下さがる。
2. 貴人きじんの前まえや公的こうてきな場所ばしょから帰かえる。
3. 試合しあいなどに敗やぶれて引き下ひきさがる。
4. 試合しあいなどで途中とちゅう交代こうたいして下さがる。
5. 仕事しごとを辞やめる。引退いんたいする。