- present tense form of remain (3rd person singular).
remains
Britishplural noun
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any pieces, scraps, fragments, etc, that are left unused or still extant, as after use, consumption, the passage of time, etc
the remains of a meal
archaeological remains
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the body of a dead person; corpse
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Also called: literary remains. the unpublished writings of an author at the time of his or her death
Explanation
The word remains can mean a dead body, so a detective might investigate to find out if some bones found in a lake are human or non-human remains. You can also use remains to mean the part of something that's left behind after the rest has been used or thrown away. So the remains of your birthday cake might just be some crumbs and melted candles, and the remains of a building after an earthquake could consist of a crumbling foundation. In a murder mystery, though, remains are likely to be human bodies.
Vocabulary lists containing remains
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 Old Trafford-based side, renamed the Super Giants from this season having preivously been the Originals, lost two previous men's finals, including to the Rockets in 2022, which remains their sole men's title.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
While Mr. Mangione suffered chronic back pain and had spinal fusion surgery, it remains unclear why he believed the system failed him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
"The box office generally slows during the second half of August as kids start returning to school, but right now business remains extremely strong," said industry analyst David A. Gross.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
Reiner has pleaded not guilty to the stabbings and remains legally innocent unless he changes his plea or is convicted by a jury.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
He discovered that without our moon to quicken it, a dragon's egg remains dormant forever.
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
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.
