regain
Americanverb (used with object)
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regains,
present (3rd person singular)
-
regained,
past participle, past
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regaining
present participle
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to get again; recover.
to regain one's health.
-
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
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Messenger
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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:
He said that public trust in universities has declined and “we must regain trust by earning it.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Until they regain complete control, there will be pressure on global oil supplies and on prices.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
However, whether CBL-514 can reliably prevent weight regain in people remains an open question.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
Luxury sports car maker Porsche announced Wednesday it plans to sell fewer vehicles, but at a higher price to try to regain profitability hit by competition from China.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
Rowan drew breath, struggled to regain his feet.
From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda
Among the criteria graded on Anderson's 'radar chart' were defensive regains, duel success, line-breaking passes, aerial-duel success and defensive errors.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
She regains her ability to fly but is never able to communicate with Jiji again.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
Instead of responding only after a treatment fails, doctors may eventually be able to anticipate resistance and act before the tumor regains strength.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026
It’s through Robbie’s act of mercy that Tom regains faith.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
She hesitates at the sight of me but quickly regains her composure.
From "Legend" by Marie Lu
Last week, pro-government forces said they had regained control of territory overlooking Bab al-Mandab after launching a major counter-offensive with the support of Saudi air strikes.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
The monochromatic version of the former Avenger had been rebuilt without his memories to be a sentient weapon, but during a showdown with his magically created double, he regained them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
Rats that had received both medications regained less weight than rats treated only with tirzepatide.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
Pike later regained consciousness, and her attorneys have sought to preserve evidence from the botched procedure.
From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026
When his adrenaline wore off and the excitement ended, the sadness regained control.
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
But recently, battered tech leaders have started regaining ground.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
The Liberal Democrats also performed strongly, regaining control of Stockport thanks to gaining seats from the Conservatives.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 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
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
Booth needed rest and would happily have spent a month with the Garretts recovering from his injury and regaining his strength.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
