Vertraagd

Vertraagd is a Dutch adjective meaning delayed or slowed down. It is the past participle of vertragen and is used to describe objects, processes or events that do not occur on time or proceed more slowly than expected. Example: De trein is vertraagd door een storing.

In usage, vertraagd can be used predicatively: De trein is vertraagd. It can also be used attributively: een vertraagde trein. In plural, you can say: de vertraagde treinen. It agrees with the noun in number and definiteness according to standard Dutch adjective inflection.

The term is common in transportation and logistics, where a service can be described as vertraagd (for example, een vertraagde dienstregeling). It is also used in science, medicine and everyday speech to refer to processes that are slower than usual, such as vertraagde groei (delayed growth) of a plant or vertraagde ontwikkeling (delayed development) in a patient. In news reporting, vertraging (delay) is the more general noun, while vertraagd serves as the attributive or predicative form.

Etymology and related terms: Vertraagd is derived from vertragen, the verb meaning to slow down or delay. The related noun is vertraging. Antonyms include versneld (accelerated) or uitgesteld (postponed) in contexts of schedules. In Dutch-speaking regions, including the Netherlands and Belgium, the term is widely understood; Afrikaans uses vertraagd with a similar meaning as in Dutch.