regain
B2Neutral to formal
Definition
Meaning
to get back something you have lost, such as a quality, possession, ability, or position.
To recover possession, control, or a previous state; to succeed in reaching a place or position again.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often implies effort or struggle in recovering something lost; can be used with abstract (e.g., confidence) and concrete (e.g., territory) nouns.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage.
Connotations
Slightly more formal than 'get back' in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally common in both BrE and AmE in writing; 'get back' is more frequent in informal speech.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[subject] regain [object] (from [source])[subject] regain [abstract quality]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “regain your feet”
- “regain the upper hand”
- “regain one's bearings”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used for recovering market share, profitability, or a competitive position. 'The new CEO aims to regain investor confidence.'
Academic
Used in discussing historical recovery of territory or political power, or psychological recovery of faculties. 'The study examines how patients regain cognitive function after trauma.'
Everyday
Common for recovering from illness, losing weight, or getting back a lost item. 'I need to regain my fitness after the holiday.'
Technical
In sports science for recovery of performance; in engineering for recovery of system stability.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The team fought hard to regain the trophy they lost last season.
- After the scandal, the minister never regained public trust.
- She paused to regain her breath before continuing the climb.
American English
- The company launched a new product to regain its market share.
- He needed surgery to regain full use of his arm.
- It took years for the forest to regain its former density.
adverb
British English
- No established adverbial form.
American English
- No established adverbial form.
adjective
British English
- No common adjectival use of 'regain'. The related adjective is 'regained' (e.g., regained territory).
American English
- No common adjectival use of 'regain'. The related adjective is 'regained' (e.g., a regained advantage).
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The football team wants to regain the cup.
- I lost my key but I regained it.
- After a good night's sleep, she regained her energy.
- The country regained its independence in 1991.
- The politician struggled to regain credibility after the misleading statement.
- Through physiotherapy, he slowly regained mobility in his knee.
- The central bank intervened to help the currency regain its stability.
- The novel's protagonist embarks on a quest to regain his stolen inheritance.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of RE-GAIN: to GAIN something again (RE-).
Conceptual Metaphor
POSSESSION IS AN OBJECT TO BE RECLAIMED; HEALTH/STRENGTH IS A SUBSTANCE TO BE REFILLED.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'retain' (сохранять). 'Regain' is вернуть, восстановить, вновь обрести.
- Do not use 'regain' for simple 'return' (вернуться) of a person to a place. Use 'return to'.
Common Mistakes
- *I regained back my phone. (redundant – 'back' is unnecessary)
- *She is regaining from her illness. (incorrect preposition – 'recovering from' is correct)
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'regain' used INCORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is neutral but can sound more formal than 'get back' in casual conversation. It is perfectly suitable for academic and professional writing.
Yes. You can regain a physical object (like a passport) and an abstract quality (like confidence or power).
They are often synonyms. 'Regain' often focuses on the act of getting something back, while 'recover' can also emphasise the process of healing or returning to a normal state (e.g., recover from an illness).
No. In standard pronunciations (both BrE and AmE), the primary stress is on the second syllable: re-GAIN. The 're-' prefix is not stressed.