# regress

/ˈɹiɡɹɛs/ (US) · CEFR C1 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/regress
Updated: 2026-10-16

## Definition

to go back to an earlier state that is usually worse or less developed. You use it when someone loses progress they had made.

For teachers: to return to an earlier, typically less advanced or less desirable condition or pattern of behaviour. Often implies reversal of prior development, improvement, or recovery.

## Examples

- He starts to regress when he feels stressed at school.
- After months of progress in therapy, she began to regress and avoid the routines that had helped her.
- Critics argued that without continued investment in public education, literacy rates would regress to levels not seen in decades.

## Synonyms

relapse, revert, backslide

## Antonyms

progress, advance

## Usage notes

- The verb is intransitive and takes no direct object; often followed by 'to' or 'into' to mark the earlier state.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.