Word
remain
Phoneticsre·main, stress on the second syllable
US/ɹiˈmeɪn/
UK/ɹɪmˈeɪn/
Definitions
01to stay in a state
B1 · Intermediate
v. to continue to be in a specific condition or state.
v. to continue in a particular state or condition. Often functions as a copular verb followed by an adjective or noun phrase.
“Despite the loud noise outside, the baby remained asleep in her crib.”
“The investigators noted that the suspect remained remarkably calm throughout the interrogation, never once raising his voice or showing signs of agitation.”
02to stay behind
B1 · Intermediate
v. to stay in a place after other people have left.
v. to stay in a place after others have departed or after a portion has been removed.
日本語:残る※
“Only a few students remained in the classroom after the bell rang.”
“While most of the refugees fled across the border, a small group of elders remained in the village to protect their ancestral homes.”
03to be left over
B1 · Intermediate
v. to be left when the other parts are gone or have been used.
v. to be left after a part or quantity has been subtracted, used, or destroyed.
日本語:残る※
“Very little of the original castle remains today except for one stone tower.”
“After the budget cuts were implemented, only enough funding remained to support the most essential community services.”
04leftover parts
B2 · Upper Intermediate Plural noun
n. the parts of something that are left after the rest has been used or destroyed.
n. the parts or portions of something that are left over after the main part has been removed or destroyed. Usually plural.
“We ate the remains of the Sunday roast for lunch on Monday.”
“Archaeologists discovered the remains of a Roman villa beneath the modern shopping centre during the excavation.”
05a dead body
C1 · Advanced Plural noun Formal
n. the body of a person who has died.
n. the physical body of a deceased person. Always plural; formal and respectful in register.
“The soldier's remains were returned to his family for a private funeral.”
“Forensic experts were called to the site to identify the human remains found by the hikers in the remote forest.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “remain” in context.
Verb
01. remain in place
“The old laws will remain in place until the new government is formed.”
verb + prep + noun
02. allow to remain
“The students were allowed to remain in the library after hours.”
verb + to + verb
03. force to remain
“Heavy snow forced many travelers to remain at the airport.”
verb + to + verb
04. remain at home
“Many elderly people prefer to remain at home rather than move to a care facility.”
verb + prep + noun
Noun
05. remain stable
“The patient's condition is expected to remain stable overnight.”
verb + adj
06. remain a challenge
“Reducing carbon emissions will remain a challenge for the next decade.”
verb + noun
07. remain a mystery
“The cause of the fire continues to remain a mystery to investigators.”
verb + noun
08. remain anonymous
“The donor wishes to remain anonymous for personal reasons.”
verb + adj
09. remain calm
“Please remain calm and stay in your seats until the plane has stopped.”
verb + adj
10. remain in office
“The president intends to remain in office until the next election.”
verb + prep + noun
11. remain silent
“The suspect chose to remain silent during the police questioning.”
verb + adj
12. little remains of
“Very little remains of the original medieval castle today.”
Etymology
From Middle English remainen, from Old French remain-, stressed stem of remanoir, from Latin remaneō, maneō, from Proto-Indo-European *men- (“to stay”). Displaced native Middle English beliven, bliven (“to remain”) (from Old English belīfan (“to remain, stay”)) due to confluence with related Middle English beleven (“to leave behind”), with which it merged. More at beleave and belive.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Idioms
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- B1 · IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/remain
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0