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
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:
Although the work does not establish a treatment capable of reversing aging in people, it offers a laboratory model for investigating how cells regain youthful characteristics.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 21, 2026
He said that public trust in universities has declined and “we must regain trust by earning it.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
The nation’s second-largest bank must regain credibility with investors after paying a massive fine for not complying with laws meant to prevent financial crimes.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
The Dodgers say that Ohtani can still regain his magic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
I was able to regain control, except on one of my tumbling passes on floor, I went too hard into the somersaults and landed out of bounds.
From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles
If Pantoja regains the championship, he would become only the third flyweight champion in UFC history to reclaim the belt after losing it, joining Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
These are the moments when Gallego regains hope, but the seconds pass and no answers come from below.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 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
Sergio regains control and zips up the incline that starts just inside the gate.
From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya
Meanwhile, oil regained momentum amid continued concerns over supply disruption risks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
In laboratory experiments, corals that had turned white and were close to dying regained their health within seven weeks.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 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
Over the course of last week, her team provided frequent updates on Pike's condition - detailing how she had regained her ability to walk and talk before ultimately being discharged from hospital care.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
They sputtered for an instant, and some of them even went out, but the old wood of the ship was too flammable, and it quickly regained momentum.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
There is the chance to play a major part in regaining the urn and to become one of the few British athletes to lift a World Cup in any sport.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
Even when they survive, regaining their health can take months or years.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026
It was only regaining the ability to hear music as music that he could compose.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
Now, the Austin, Texas, company is regaining ground, even as it has de-emphasized its core auto business.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
For a few moments I lay regaining my breath and for the first time really felt the fierce determination that nothing now could stop us reaching the top.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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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.
