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.
The Inglewood school district is set to regain control of its local public schools next year — after the longest state takeover of a school system in California history, officials announced Thursday.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 9, 2026
Aang befriended Zuko, an exiled Fire Nation prince who at first hunted Aang to regain his father’s approval before joining his quarry’s mission to restore peace.
From Salon • Jul. 8, 2026
Palaeoanthropology must regain its glory as a science that’s not only about bones, but that’s an ethological, cultural, and social study of bygone human societies.
From Science Daily • Jul. 7, 2026
"I think people have lost trust in the KFA, and it will take a long time for the association to regain that trust," he told local media.
From BBC • Jul. 2, 2026
Dr. Harlow tells himself that a man who was so badly hurt is going to need time to regain his full powers.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
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.
