r-word
Part of speech: noun
verb
Morphological type: simple
Inflected forms:
form: r-words
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: R-word
pos: noun
tags: alternative
form: r-words
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: r-wording
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: r-worded
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: r-worded
pos: verb
tags: past
form: R-word
pos: verb
tags: alternative
Senses:
gloss: The word retard or retarded, regarded as a vulgar or taboo word.
pos: noun
tags: euphemistic
examples: I recently spoke supporting a new name for the President's Committee on Mental Retardation. I suggested it be changed to "President's Committee for People with Developmental Disabilities."
The Tropic Thunder premiere presented a particularly strong opportunity for advocacy groups to make further progress on this front, because the R-word has played a major role in advance viral marketing for the prospective big-budget blockbuster.[…]
The latest battle over the R-word kicked into high gear with a Jan. 26 Wall Street Journal report that last summer White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel blasted liberal activists unhappy with the pace of health-care reform, deriding their strategies as "[expletive] retarded."
When people continue to use the 'R' word, it's hurtful," Seckler added.
Throughout 2025, influential public figures like Rogan, Musk and Kanye West have used the r-word on platforms where millions can see and hear them.
gloss: The word rape, regarded as a vulgar or taboo word.
pos: noun
tags: euphemistic
examples: "Updike can use the `R' word" (rape, he meant) "to describe the love-making (sic) of the two Brazilians and get away with it."
As the viewer of any after-school special can tell you, women shy away from the R word because they blame themselves.
You don't ask a victim 'How's it going?' and you don't use the R word with them.
Of late though, the R-word has acquired a dark new meaning with guys leaping out of bushes onto hapless maidens.
gloss: The word redskin or redskins (including Redskins as a team name) regarded as a vulgar or taboo word.
pos: noun
tags: euphemistic
examples: For years, Native American Indian groups and a wide variety of knee-jerk liberal sympathizers, including me, your humble scrivener, have pointed fingers of shame, shame, shame at the R-word team.
“The r-word is no more acceptable to American Indians than the n-word is to blacks,” one woman stated succinctly in a recent Post letter to the editor […]
It's better than the R word, huh? Redskin? Better than prairie nigger. That's a real beaut. It's even better than Native American.
gloss: Any word beginning with r that is considered (often humorously) to be taboo in the given context.
pos: noun
tags: humorous
examples: Neither Mayor David N. Dinkins nor Mr. Cuomo, though, has been reluctant to invoke the symbolism of another R-word: Republican.
In the second year of a three-year contract, Boggs will be 36 on June 15, but he's not ready to consider the R word—retirement.
Winter came early that year, and the animals began hearing a lot of "R" words they couldn't pronounce. Words like "recession," "redundancy" and "rationalization."
For investors, there are few things as scary as the “R” word. That’s because, historically, recessions have often wreaked havoc on stock portfolios.
But never say never, friends make sure to add, knowing that Favre has tossed around the R-word frequently the last three seasons.
When he spoke last year at the convention of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Gov. David A. Paterson complained about being a victim of racism. He didn't actually use the r-word.
The R word no doubt still sounds profane to Roger Federer, but I think I am speaking for most fans of the sport when I say: whenever the time does come for him to exit the stage, some serious advance notice would be appreciated.
For his part, Mr. de Blasio will probably just keep using the R-word. ¶ “He seems to think the Republican brand is so damaged here in New York City that repeating that over and over is enough to prevent Lhota from picking up support,” Mr. Paulson said.
gloss: To rape.
pos: verb
tags: euphemistic
Derived words: r-worded
Translations: