Verb
Little remained after the fire.
Only two minutes still remain in the game.
The question remains: who fired the shot?
She remained in Boston after she finished college.
The soldiers were ordered to remain at their posts.
I remained behind after the class had ended.
He remained with the team.
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Recent Examples on the Web
The Orioles still haven’t signed a long-term lease with the Maryland Stadium Authority to remain at Oriole Park, instead declining a one-time option in early February that would have extended their current lease, which expires Dec. 31, by five years.
—
Jacob Calvin Meyer, Baltimore Sun, 30 Mar. 2023
If bonded out, Bradley is required to remain under house arrest until his next court hearing.
—John Sharp | Jsharp@al.com, al, 29 Mar. 2023
So if the Celtics are going to remain in the No. 2 spot, it might as well be locked in sooner rather than later.
—Adam Himmelsbach, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Mar. 2023
He was led away in handcuffs after the hearing and is expected to remain in jail until his sentencing.
—Faith Karimi, CNN, 29 Mar. 2023
Those wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS (800) 222-8477.
—Nicole Acosta, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2023
This year, the Grizzlies have a strong core of returners and look poised to remain on top of the district.
—Nikstreng, oregonlive, 29 Mar. 2023
According to a rep for Critical Role, the podcast’s founders are preferring to remain anonymous.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 29 Mar. 2023
Pope Francis was hospitalized with a respiratory infection Wednesday after experiencing difficulty breathing in recent days and will remain in the Rome hospital for several days of treatment, the Vatican said.
—Nicole Winfield, San Antonio Express-News, 29 Mar. 2023
Her remains have not yet been found.
—Cara Tabachnick, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2023
Her remains were exhumed in 2013 for DNA testing that was unavailable in 1982.
—Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 29 Mar. 2023
Her remains were found on April 7, 2013, at Big Cedar Creek in southeastern Indiana’s Cedar Grove.
—Jennifer Edwards Baker And Ken Brown, The Enquirer, 27 Mar. 2023
Her remains were found in April 2013 at a dump site in Cedar Grove, Ind., around 30 miles west of her home, Fox 19 reports.
—Nicole Acosta, Peoplemag, 24 Mar. 2023
As her family would learn, the 23-year-old was fatally wounded in a frantic race to help others flee the kill zone, and her remains were crudely buried outside of an Iraqi hospital.
—Alex Horton, Anchorage Daily News, 22 Mar. 2023
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) announced on March 17 that DNA testing confirmed 27-year-old Crystal Hendrix’s identity after her remains were discovered in August 2020 at 456 Urbana Road in Omega.
—Audrey Conklin, Fox News, 22 Mar. 2023
As her family would learn, the 23-year-old was fatally wounded in a frantic race to help others flee the kill zone, and her remains were crudely buried outside of an Iraqi hospital.
—Alex Horton, Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2023
Meanwhile, the former UMass Dartmouth student who says Laudon assaulted her remains haunted by what happened more than a dozen years ago.
—Walter Wuthmann, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Mar. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘remain.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
verb (used without object)
to continue in the same state; continue to be as specified: to remain at peace.
to stay behind or in the same place: to remain at home; I’ll remain here when you go to the airport.
to be left after the removal, loss, destruction, etc., of all else: The front wall is all that remains of the fort.
to be left to be done, told, shown, etc.: Only the dishwashing remains.
to be reserved or in store.
noun
Usually remains. something that remains or is left.
remains,
- miscellaneous, fragmentary, or other writings still unpublished at the time of an author’s death.
- traces of some quality, condition, etc.
- a dead body; corpse.
- parts or substances remaining from animal or plant life that occur in the earth’s crust or strata: fossil remains; organic remains.
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Origin of remain
1375–1425; late Middle English remainen<Anglo-French remain-, stressed stem of Middle French remanoir<Latin remanēre, equivalent to re-re- + manēre to stay; see manor
synonym study for remain
OTHER WORDS FROM remain
un·re·main·ing, adjective
Words nearby remain
reluctivity, relume, relumine, rely, rem, remain, remainder, remainderman, remains, remake, reman
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Words related to remain
continue, endure, go on, hover, last, linger, live, persist, prevail, stand, stop, survive, wait, abide, bide, bivouac, bunk, cling, delay, dwell
How to use remain in a sentence
-
Fossils eroding out of footprint-bearing sediment included remains of elephants and large gazelles called oryxes, but not humans.
-
When fires burn up vegetation, the charred remains become hydrophobic—meaning they repel away any water.
-
Until now, the oldest remains of an ancient gibbon species consisted of a small number of teeth found in China, which date from around 7 million to 9 million years ago.
-
She’s a bioarchaeologist — someone who studies human history through research on human remains.
-
Its remains will then be smeared out into a system of rings, like the rings of Saturn but smaller and darker.
-
Any plans to grow her exercise movement must, she insists, remain “completely organic.”
-
To those who agreed with him, Bush pledged that the law against same-sex marriage would remain intact.
-
The people who are involved in the violence, they figure out ways to remain here at all costs and continue causing trouble.
-
But the qualities Mario Cuomo brought to public life—compassion, integrity, commitment to principle—remain in short supply today.
-
Instead, black models are required to remain meekly, silently off stage, waiting for a turn that may never come.
-
As long as may be necessary, Sam,” replied Mr. Pickwick, “you have my full permission to remain.
-
I had it put in order whilst you were in London; it was a shame to let a sacred place remain in such a state.
-
The observer might well remain perplexed at the pathetic discord between human work and human wants.
-
But the quiet old town, with its musical name and its great orchestra, will long remain in my memory.
-
And having nothing in their minds which seeks utterance, they remain quiet.
British Dictionary definitions for remain
verb (mainly intr)
to stay behind or in the same placeto remain at home; only Tom remained
(copula) to continue to beto remain cheerful
to be left, as after use, consumption, the passage of time, etca little wine still remained in the bottle
to be left to be done, said, etcit remains to be pointed out
Word Origin for remain
C14: from Old French remanoir, from Latin remanēre to be left, from re- + manēre to stay
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
vb mainly intr
1 to stay behind or in the same place
to remain at home, only Tom remained
2 copula to continue to be
to remain cheerful
3 to be left, as after use, consumption, the passage of time, etc
a little wine still remained in the bottle
4 to be left to be done, said, etc.
it remains to be pointed out (See also)
→
remains
(C14: from Old French remanoir, from Latin remanere to be left, from re- + manere to stay)
English Collins Dictionary — English Definition & Thesaurus 
remain
abide, be left, bide, cling, continue, delay, dwell, endure, go on, hang in the air, last, linger, persist, prevail, rest, stand, stay, stay behind, stay put (informal) survive, tarry, wait
Antonyms
depart, go, leave
English Collins Dictionary — English synonyms & Thesaurus
Collaborative Dictionary English Definition
|
flatline
|
v. |
1. [informal] die 2. fail 3. remain static |
Ex1: The prisoner was injected a deadly drug and flatlined |
|
|
! parsimony |
n. |
When economic outlook remains uncertain, top management complains about the parsimony of expense reimbursements. Shareholders will not look kindly to executives flying helicopters or first-class international flights unrestrained. chenrong.hubpages.com |
||
|
digital afterlife |
n. |
what remains of someone’s life in cyber space after his or her death |
[Tech.] |
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re·main
(rĭ-mān′)
intr.v. re·mained, re·main·ing, re·mains
1. To continue in the same state or condition: These matters remain in doubt.
2. To continue to be in the same place; stay or stay behind: We are remaining at home.
3. To be left after the removal, loss, passage, or destruction of others: Only a few trees remained after the storm. See Synonyms at stay1.
4. To be left as still to be dealt with: A cure remains to be found.
5. To endure or persist: Despite the passing of so many years, the fond memories remain.
[Middle English remainen, from Old French remanoir, remainer, from Latin remanēre : re-, re- + manēre, to remain; see men- in Indo-European roots.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
remain
(rɪˈmeɪn)
vb (mainly intr)
1. to stay behind or in the same place: to remain at home; only Tom remained.
2. (copula) to continue to be: to remain cheerful.
3. to be left, as after use, consumption, the passage of time, etc: a little wine still remained in the bottle.
4. to be left to be done, said, etc: it remains to be pointed out.
[C14: from Old French remanoir, from Latin remanēre to be left, from re- + manēre to stay]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
re•main
(rɪˈmeɪn)
v.i.
1. to continue to be as specified; continue in the same state.
2. to stay behind or in the same place.
3. to be left after the removal, loss, or destruction of all else.
4. to be left to be done, told, shown, etc.
5. to be reserved or in store.
n.
6. Usu., remains. something that remains or is left.
7. remains,
a. traces of some quality, condition, etc.
b. a dead body; corpse.
c. parts or substances remaining from animal or plant life: fossil remains.
d. writings unpublished at the time of the author’s death.
[1375–1425; late Middle English < Anglo-French remain-, tonic s. of Middle French remanoir < Latin remanēre=re- re- + manēre to stay]
Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
remain
- bide one’s time — Based on abide, meaning «remain» or «to wait awhile.»
- marcescent — Describes leaves that wither but remain attached to the stem.
- mansion, mansionary — Mansion first meant the action of living or remaining in a place, from French manere, «remain,» from Latin mansio, «staying»; mansionary is an adjective meaning «resident.»
- stick-in-the-mud — Based on the notion of «to stick in the mud, to be content to remain in an abject condition.»
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
remain
– stay
Remain and stay are often used with the same meaning. Remain is more formal than stay. To remain or stay in a particular state means to continue to be in that state.
Oliver remained silent.
I stayed awake all night.
If you remain or stay in a place, you do not leave it.
I was allowed to remain at home.
Fewer women these days stay at home to look after their children.
If something still exists, you can say that it remains. Don’t say that it ‘stays’.
Even today parts of the old wall remain.
The wider problem remains.
If you stay in a town, hotel, or house, you live there for a short time.
How long can you stay in Brussels?
She was staying in the same hotel as I was.
Be Careful!
Don’t use ‘remain’ with this meaning.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
remain
Past participle: remained
Gerund: remaining
| Imperative |
|---|
| remain |
| remain |
| Present |
|---|
| I remain |
| you remain |
| he/she/it remains |
| we remain |
| you remain |
| they remain |
| Preterite |
|---|
| I remained |
| you remained |
| he/she/it remained |
| we remained |
| you remained |
| they remained |
| Present Continuous |
|---|
| I am remaining |
| you are remaining |
| he/she/it is remaining |
| we are remaining |
| you are remaining |
| they are remaining |
| Present Perfect |
|---|
| I have remained |
| you have remained |
| he/she/it has remained |
| we have remained |
| you have remained |
| they have remained |
| Past Continuous |
|---|
| I was remaining |
| you were remaining |
| he/she/it was remaining |
| we were remaining |
| you were remaining |
| they were remaining |
| Past Perfect |
|---|
| I had remained |
| you had remained |
| he/she/it had remained |
| we had remained |
| you had remained |
| they had remained |
| Future |
|---|
| I will remain |
| you will remain |
| he/she/it will remain |
| we will remain |
| you will remain |
| they will remain |
| Future Perfect |
|---|
| I will have remained |
| you will have remained |
| he/she/it will have remained |
| we will have remained |
| you will have remained |
| they will have remained |
| Future Continuous |
|---|
| I will be remaining |
| you will be remaining |
| he/she/it will be remaining |
| we will be remaining |
| you will be remaining |
| they will be remaining |
| Present Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I have been remaining |
| you have been remaining |
| he/she/it has been remaining |
| we have been remaining |
| you have been remaining |
| they have been remaining |
| Future Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I will have been remaining |
| you will have been remaining |
| he/she/it will have been remaining |
| we will have been remaining |
| you will have been remaining |
| they will have been remaining |
| Past Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| I had been remaining |
| you had been remaining |
| he/she/it had been remaining |
| we had been remaining |
| you had been remaining |
| they had been remaining |
| Conditional |
|---|
| I would remain |
| you would remain |
| he/she/it would remain |
| we would remain |
| you would remain |
| they would remain |
| Past Conditional |
|---|
| I would have remained |
| you would have remained |
| he/she/it would have remained |
| we would have remained |
| you would have remained |
| they would have remained |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
| Verb | 1. | remain — stay the same; remain in a certain state; «The dress remained wet after repeated attempts to dry it»; «rest assured»; «stay alone»; «He remained unmoved by her tears»; «The bad weather continued for another week»
stay, rest keep out — remain outside sit tight — maintain the same position; wait it out; «Let’s not make a decision—let’s sit tight» stay together, stick together — be loyal to one another, especially in times of trouble; «The two families stuck together throughout the war» be — have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun); «John is rich»; «This is not a good answer» stand — remain inactive or immobile; «standing water» stay fresh, keep — fail to spoil or rot; «These potatoes keep for a long time» be — to remain unmolested, undisturbed, or uninterrupted — used only in infinitive form; «let her be» |
| 2. | remain — continue in a place, position, or situation; «After graduation, she stayed on in Cambridge as a student adviser»; «Stay with me, please»; «despite student protests, he remained Dean for another year»; «She continued as deputy mayor for another year»
stay on, stay, continue be — have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun); «John is rich»; «This is not a good answer» abide, bide, stay — dwell; «You can stay with me while you are in town»; «stay a bit longer—the day is still young» hold over — continue a term of office past the normal period of time |
|
| 3. | remain — be left; of persons, questions, problems, results, evidence, etc.; «There remains the question of who pulled the trigger»; «Carter remains the only President in recent history under whose Presidency the U.S. did not fight a war»
be — have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun); «John is rich»; «This is not a good answer» |
|
| 4. | remain — stay behind; «The smell stayed in the room»; «The hostility remained long after they made up»
persist, stay stick — endure; «The label stuck to her for the rest of her life» linger — remain present although waning or gradually dying; «Her perfume lingered on» |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
remain
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
remain
verb
1. To continue to be in a place:
2. To be in existence or in a certain state for an indefinitely long time:
The American Heritage® Roget’s Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
يَبْقىيُتْرَك ، يبْقى، يَظَليَسْتَمِر
zůstatzbýt
forblive
jäädä
ostati
marad
halda áfram aî verahalda kyrru fyrirvera eftir
･･･のままである
남아 있다
liktilikučiailikusiejilikusioji dalispalaikai
atliktpaliktpalikt pāri
ostati
stanna kvar
คงอยู่
duy trì
Collins Spanish Dictionary — Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
remain
[rɪˈmeɪn]
vi
(= stay in place) → rester
I was allowed to remain at home → On m’autorisait à rester chez moi.
vt (= continue to be) → rester
He remains a formidable opponent → Il reste un adversaire formidable.
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
remain
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
remain
(rəˈmein) verb
1. to be left. Only two tins of soup remain; Very little remained of the cinema after the fire; A great many things still remain to be done.
2. to stay; not to leave. I shall remain here.
3. to continue to be. The problem remains unsolved.
reˈmainder (-də) noun
the amount or number that is left when the rest has gone, been taken away etc. I’ve corrected most of the essays – the remainder will get done tomorrow.
reˈmains noun plural
1. what is left after part has been taken away, eaten, destroyed etc. the remains of a meal.
2. a dead body. to dispose of someone’s remains.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
remain
→ يَبْقى zůstat forblive verbleiben παραμένω quedarse jäädä rester ostati rimanere ･･･のままである 남아 있다 blijven gjenstå pozostać permanecer оставаться stanna kvar คงอยู่ kalmak duy trì 保持
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
remain
v. permanecer;
to ___ in bed → guardar cama.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
Other forms: remained; remains; remaining
To remain is to stay in the same place or situation. You can remain at home instead of going out to the movies with your friends, but that doesn’t mean you won’t remain friends.
If things remain the same, they don’t change, and if your family remains in the same town, they don’t move. When something is left behind, it also remains: «All that remains of my party is a bunch of deflated balloons.» In the fifteenth century, remain was a noun too, meaning «people or things left over or surviving.» Today we use remainder instead.
Definitions of remain
-
verb
continue in a place, position, or situation
“despite student protests, he
remained Dean for another year”-
synonyms:
continue, stay, stay on
-
verb
stay the same; remain in a certain state
“The dress
remained wet after repeated attempts to dry it”“He
remained unmoved by her tears”-
synonyms:
rest, stay
-
verb
be left; of persons, questions, problems, results, evidence, etc.
“There
remains the question of who pulled the trigger”“Carter
remains the only President in recent history under whose Presidency the U.S. did not fight a war”see moresee less-
type of:
-
be
have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)
-
be
-
“The hostility
remained long after they made up”-
synonyms:
persist, stay
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘remain’.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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