Standard Lemma guide

regain

noun · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ɹiːˈɡeɪn/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪn
  • /ˈɹiːɡeɪn/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: R IH0 G EY1 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The act or process of regaining something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The amount of width a woven cloth grows by when the fibers swell, used to determine the width of the reed to use in weaving.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: business, manufacturing, textiles

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To get back; to recover possession of.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: resume

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

get or find back; recover the use of

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • She regained control of herself
  • She found her voice and replied quickly

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: recover, retrieve, find

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: get, acquire

Narrower terms: access

5

verb

Meaning 5

come upon after searching; find the location of something that was missed or lost

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Did you find your glasses?
  • I cannot find my gloves!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: find

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: get, acquire

Narrower terms: feel, locate, turn up, fall upon, strike, come upon, light upon, chance upon, come across, chance on, happen upon, attain, discover, rout up, rout out

History

Etymology

From Middle French regaigner (French regagner). By surface analysis, re- + gain.

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: възвръщам си (vǎzvrǎštam si) — to get back, to recover possession of
  • Catalan: reconquerir — to get back, to recover possession of
  • Dutch: herkrijgen — to get back, to recover possession of
  • Finnish: saada takaisin — to get back, to recover possession of
  • French: reconquérir — to get back, to recover possession of
  • French: reprendre — to get back, to recover possession of
  • German: wiedergewinnen — to get back, to recover possession of
  • Ancient Greek: ἀναλαμβάνω (analambánō) — to get back, to recover possession of
  • Haitian Creole: reprann — to get back, to recover possession of
  • Italian: riprendere — to get back, to recover possession of
  • Italian: riappropriarsi — to get back, to recover possession of
  • Italian: recuperare — to get back, to recover possession of
  • Italian: riguadagnare — to get back, to recover possession of
  • Italian: riavere — to get back, to recover possession of
  • Old Galician-Portuguese: cobrar — to get back, to recover possession of
  • Polish: odzyskać — to get back, to recover possession of
  • Portuguese: reconquistar — to get back, to recover possession of
  • Spanish: reconseguir — to get back, to recover possession of
  • Swedish: återfå — to get back, to recover possession of
  • Swedish: återvinna — to get back, to recover possession of