regain
Americanverb (used with object)
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regains,
present (3rd person singular)
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regained,
past participle, past
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regaining
present participle
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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:
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
“On the advice of his doctors, he will take the next four weeks to recuperate and regain full fitness before returning to the stage.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
He would like to export more American goods and regain access to China’s rare-earth minerals.
From Slate ● Sep. 25, 2026
“Not only does it give millions of little girls a doll that looks like them, it means you see us and that we matter,” I said, trying to regain my composure.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
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
He demands possession, regains it more often than anyone else and rarely allows the intensity of his performance to drop.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
It’s through Robbie’s act of mercy that Tom regains faith.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
The plane regains its course and dips over the mountain as everyone strains to see and listen.
From "The Unfinished Angel" by Sharon Creech
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
Loui has since regained control of the company and renamed it PacMar.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
Kevin Warsh, who took the helm at the central bank in May, regained badly needed credibility with the hike after a shaky start to his tenure.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026
Last spring, about a year and a half after Azerbaijan regained control of the territory, fragile talks between Pashinyan and Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, looked in danger of collapsing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
Penelope tucked the letter into her apron pocket and quickly regained her professional composure, on the outside, at least.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
It was only regaining the ability to hear music as music that he could compose.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
But recently, battered tech leaders have started regaining ground.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 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
After dismantling all before them at this World Cup, France had to find a new way to win to keep alive their dream of regaining the trophy they last lifted in 2018.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
Imagining outrageous feasts and regaining her former glory, she finally fell asleep.
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
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.
