regain

[ ree-geyn ]
See synonyms for: regainregained on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)
  1. to get again; recover: to regain one's health.

  2. to succeed in reaching again; get back to: to regain the shore.

noun
  1. (in a moisture-free fabric) the percentage of the weight that represents the amount of moisture the material is expected to absorb under normal conditions.

Origin of regain

1
First recorded in 1540–50; re- + gain1

Other words from regain

  • re·gain·a·ble, adjective
  • re·gain·er, noun
  • half-re·gained, adjective
  • un·re·gain·a·ble, adjective
  • un·re·gained, adjective

Words Nearby regain

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use regain in a sentence

  • There was some small sliver of hope that Democrats could regain some lost ground in 2016 with Hillary Clinton on the ballot.

  • A certain amount of his ill-humour vented, Tressan made an effort to regain his self-control.

    St. Martin's Summer | Rafael Sabatini
  • While endeavoring to regain their feet, some were violently thrown upon the wooden platform.

    A Lost Hero | Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward and Herbert D. Ward
  • This made it necessary to put on a spurt to regain lost distance, but on such ground the speed was dangerous.

    Hunting the Lions | R.M. Ballantyne
  • He shoved Coulter as far off as possible and at the same time struck out to regain the surface of the lake.

    The Mystery at Putnam Hall | Arthur M. Winfield
  • She half turned so that Mazaroff could not see the expression of her face; she wanted time to regain control over her features.

    The Weight of the Crown | Fred M. White

British Dictionary definitions for regain

regain

verb(rɪˈɡeɪn) (tr)
  1. to take or get back; recover

  2. to reach again

noun(ˈriːˌɡeɪn)
  1. the process of getting something back, esp lost weight: this regain was inevitable

Derived forms of regain

  • regainable, adjective
  • regainer, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012