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Synonyms

regain

American  
[ree-geyn] / riˈgeɪn /

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.

regain British  

verb

  1. to take or get back; recover

  2. to reach again

"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

noun

  1. the process of getting something back, esp lost weight

    this regain was inevitable
"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

Other Word Forms

  • half-regained adjective
  • regainable adjective
  • regainer noun
  • unregainable adjective
  • unregained adjective

Etymology

Origin of regain

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

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 company brought in Fiat and Jeep veteran Antonio Filosa as CEO, and he is emphasizing the importance of the U.S. market and the need to regain lost market share.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

In a Facebook post, mountain rescue said the climbing leader was uninjured after the fall and managed to regain the belay device which helps to keep the climbers safe.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

The developments announced Thursday seem like an extension of Unity’s earlier efforts to regain its footing.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

Lena Ting of Emory University and her team set out to understand how aging and Parkinson's disease affect the way the brain and muscles respond when a person tries to regain balance.

From Science Daily • Mar. 25, 2026

Ben tried to regain his balance before he slammed into the folding chairs and spectators sitting at his end of the court.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

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.