remain

1 of 2

verb

re·​main ri-ˈmān 

remained; remaining; remains

intransitive verb

1

a

: to be a part not destroyed, taken, or used up

only a few ruins remain

b

: to be something yet to be shown, done, or treated

it remains to be seen

2

: to stay in the same place or with the same person or group

especially : to stay behind

3

: to continue unchanged

the fact remains that we can't go

remain

2 of 2

noun

1

remains plural : a dead body

2

: a remaining part or trace

—usually used in plural

3

obsolete : stay

Synonyms

Verb

• stay
• wait

Noun

• rubble
• debris
• ruins
• wreckage
• remnant
• ashes

Examples of remain in a Sentence

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.

Noun

the remains of the house ripped apart by the tornado littered the block for weeks afterward

archaeologists discovered the remains of an Incan woman and carefully excavated her burial site, which promised to yield important clues about her status

gathered up the remains of the buffet and delivered them to a local homeless shelter

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Areas hardest hit by the July 4 floods—including Kerr, Llano, and Bell counties—remain at high risk. —Hannah Parry amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025

As of July 7, at least 10 campers and one counselor remain missing. —Preston Fore, Fortune, 8 July 2025

Noun

Hundreds of first responders are participating in search and rescue operations, digging through debris for survivors and remains. —Jade Walker, CNN Money, 7 July 2025

Vehicles sit submerged as a search and rescue worker looks through debris for any survivors or remains of people swept up in the flash flooding on July 6, 2025 in Hunt, Texas. —Paulina Smolinski, CBS News, 7 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French remaindre, from Latin remanēre, from re- + manēre to remain — more at mansion

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Phrases Containing remain

• remain to be seen
• right to remain silent

Rhymes for remain

• abstain
• airplane
• alkane
• arcane
• arraign
• attain
• backplane
• betaine
• biplane
• blockchain
• butane
• campaign

Kids Definition

remain

1 of 2 verb

re·​main ri-ˈmān 

1

a

: to be a part not destroyed, taken, or used up

little remained after the fire

b

: to be something yet to be shown, done, or treated

that remains to be seen

2

: to stay in the same place or with the same person or group

especially : to stay behind

3

: to continue unchanged

the weather remained cold

remain

2 of 2 noun

1

: whatever is left over or behind

—usually used in plural

the remains of a meal

2

plural : a dead body