regain
Americanverb (used with object)
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to get again; recover.
to regain one's health.
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to succeed in reaching again; get back to.
to regain the shore.
noun
verb
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to take or get back; recover
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to reach again
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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regainernoun
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half-regainedadjective
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regainableadjective
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unregainableadjective
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unregainedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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regainsimple
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regainssimple
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have regainedperfect
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has regainedperfect
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am regainingprogressive
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are regainingprogressive
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is regainingprogressive
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have been regainingperfect progressive
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has been regainingperfect progressive
Past
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regainedsimple
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had regainedperfect
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was regainingprogressive
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were regainingprogressive
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had been regainingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of regain
Explanation
After you get off of a crazy carnival ride, you'll probably have to regain your balance, or get it back. Any time you've lost something and want to recover it, you hope to regain it. If your friend is furious with you because you didn't keep a secret she told you, you'll probably try to regain her trust and as a result, regain her friendship.
Vocabulary lists containing regain
Hole in My Life
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Messenger
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Counting by 7s
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
She says she spends most of that money on him, including on soy milk and a special meat broth she hopes will help him regain some strength.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Amid rows of camp beds and stacks of food supplies at a makeshift shelter in Bordeaux, thousands of tourists and locals try to regain their composure after fleeing wildfires sweeping through southwest France.
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
After discontinuing the medication, many people regain some or all of the weight they lost.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026
That finding matters because many people who lose coverage do eventually regain it.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
Again, I’m relatively certain I must have screamed or grunted, and then I wasn’t aware of much for two, perhaps three minutes as I squirmed around trying to regain some part of my mind.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
The result was the clear identity of a side less concerned about dominating the ball and more focused on controlling games through pressure, regains and rapid transitions.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
“Land” regains traction when it returns to Ireland and to its mythic theme, which meanders from the Neolithic era to the 20th century, with detours to more fantastical regions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
It’s through Robbie’s act of mercy that Tom regains faith.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
The model introduces the concept of a Vainshtein Radius, which marks the distance where the force regains its normal strength.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 24, 2026
Then he regains his composure, and as I struggle to regain mine, he leans back against the wall beside me and sighs.
From "Legend" by Marie Lu
As of Thursday, she was in critical condition and receiving intensive care, though she’d regained some of her feisty energy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
The clips were among thousands of reels, memes and first-person dispatches that flooded Instagram once protesters regained internet access.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
When drug-resistant E. faecium was treated with both vancomycin and pghi-4, the antibiotic regained its ability to kill the bacteria.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026
Once dormant, Singapore’s IPO market has regained momentum since last year supported by a steady pipeline of listings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
As I regained my strength I learned what had happened.
From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya
In fast-secularising South Korea, Buddhism is regaining popularity thanks to a "hip" trend wooing Gen Z with festivals, fashion, robots and DJs, even as some fear for the fundamentals of the faith.
From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026
By the end, the Sparks spent the game playing catch-up, never regaining the lead after surrendering it in the first 49 seconds to Johnson.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
The chipmakers themselves are regaining public confidence thanks to their ability to charge up the wazoo for their very valuable output.
From Slate ● Jul. 2, 2026
The game in Odense was stopped on 65 minutes when he collapsed and was abandoned shortly after, with the 34-year-old able to walk from the field after regaining consciousness.
From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026
The gun goes off and the girls shoot forward, finding their stride, leaping over the first hurdle, regaining their stride, leaping over the second hurdle.
From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
