regain
Americanverb (used with object)
-
regains,
present (3rd person singular)
-
regained,
past participle, past
-
regaining
present participle
-
to get again; recover.
to regain one's health.
-
to succeed in reaching again; get back to.
to regain the shore.
noun
verb
-
to take or get back; recover
-
to reach again
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
regainernoun
-
half-regainedadjective
-
regainableadjective
-
unregainableadjective
-
unregainedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
regainsimple
-
regainssimple
-
have regainedperfect
-
has regainedperfect
-
am regainingprogressive
-
are regainingprogressive
-
is regainingprogressive
-
have been regainingperfect progressive
-
has been regainingperfect progressive
Past
-
regainedsimple
-
had regainedperfect
-
was regainingprogressive
-
were regainingprogressive
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Messenger
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Counting by 7s
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
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
Our reporters in Tel Aviv, Dubai and London bring you new details and passenger accounts of the fight to subdue the attacker and regain control of the plane.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Lower prices have been working, he said, adding that new products and refreshed styles and displays — part of Target’s plans to revive sales — are the right formula to regain relevance.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
“Right now, our priority is recovering physically, grieving her, and trying to regain some sense of normalcy.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2026
“Yours is a perpetual and unceasing hunger. Go and find some food. I am working to regain my strength. Do not forget the curse, Louisiana!”
From "Louisiana's Way Home" by Kate DiCamillo
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
Plus, Spain regains control of Ceuta after migrants overrun it, and we go inside the unraveling of Situational Awareness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 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
She hesitates at the sight of me but quickly regains her composure.
From "Legend" by Marie Lu
He remained speaker until Democrats regained control of the House in the 2006 midterm elections.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
So, to end the at-bat, Skubal went to his signature changeup, which he’d regained feel for the previous inning.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
The three news outlets confirmed around midday Thursday that their reporters had regained access to the White House, after some were denied entry earlier that morning.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026
He may, for example, have regained possession deep inside his own half but lost the ball because he had to play a longer and a riskier pass after being asked to play forward quickly.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
Wolf gave a tremendous heave and regained the trail.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
It was only regaining the ability to hear music as music that he could compose.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
After regaining consciousness, Berriff said his "mouth was full of all this cement gunge stuff".
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 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
“It’s a long story,” Sticky said, regaining his composure.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
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.
