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:
After discontinuing the medication, many people regain some or all of the weight they lost.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026
“Britain needs to show the world that we can regain our stability once again.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Britain needed to show the world it could "regain stability", he said, vowing to offer "a new political model" and "build a new economy".
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
That finding matters because many people who lose coverage do eventually regain it.
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
There had been a time when we, too, had benefited—those days seemed very remote now, almost belonging to another life—but we had lost more than we had gained or could ever regain.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
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
According to the fundraiser, the actor will require around-the-clock care if he regains consciousness and is removed from life support.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 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
He regains his balance with his usual speed and spins to face the door with fists clenched.
From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon
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
When the researchers used a drug to temporarily eliminate most of these cells, the animals regained more than two hours of sleep each day.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026
Shares of semiconductor companies and other names linked to the AI infrastructure build-out regained some ground.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
But the military has regained the initiative after peeling off two significant ethnic factions with Beijing-backed truces -- the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the Ta'ang National Liberation Army.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
Once they had slept off their exhaustion, and got used to regular meals again and regained some weight, the mood was sour or surly, even among those without permanent disabilities.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
The Liberal Democrats also performed strongly, regaining control of Stockport thanks to gaining seats from the Conservatives.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Like all Fed Chairmen, Mr. Warsh will be judged on whether he accomplishes the fundamental duty of regaining and maintaining stable prices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 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
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 laugh's distorted, but the fact that it registered at all means I must be regaining my hearing.
From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
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.
