What does "regress" mean?
The act of passing back; passage back; return; retrogression.
Regress
/ˈɹiːˌɡɹɛs/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act of passing back; passage back; return; retrogression.
- Grammar: regress is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: retrogress, retrogression, reversion, about face.
- Useful contrasts: civil progresses, civil-progressing, juvenile stage.
- Usage evidence: Tom wishes sometimes that he could physically regress to an age of his choice so that people wouldn't look at him with disgust.
How to use "regress"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "regress" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "regress" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "regress" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "regress" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "regress" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "retrogress" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "regress", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act of passing back; passage back; return; retrogression. countable, uncountable
"Its bearing on the progress or regress of man is not an inconsiderable question."
- 2 returning to a former state wordnet
- 3 The power or liberty of passing back. countable, uncountable
"Thou shalt have egresse and regresse."
- 4 the reasoning involved when you assume the conclusion is true and reason backward to the evidence wordnet
- 5 The right of a person (such as a lessee) to return to a property. countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To move backwards to an earlier stage; to devolve. intransitive
- 2 go back to bad behavior wordnet
- 3 To move backwards to an earlier stage; to devolve.; To re-develop behavior one had previously grown out of, particularly a behavior left behind in childhood. intransitive
"Your nightmares stopped when you were eight years old, but after the house burned down, you regressed."
- 4 get worse or fall back to a previous condition wordnet
- 5 To move in the retrograde direction. intransitive
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 go back to a previous state wordnet
- 7 To reduce in severity or size (as of a tumor), without reaching total remission. intransitive
- 8 go back to a statistical means wordnet
- 9 To perform a regression on an explanatory variable. transitive
"When we regress Y on X, we use the values of variable X to predict those of Y."
- 10 To interrogate a person in a state of trance about forgotten elements of their past. transitive
"They regressed me, putting me under hypnosis. Then, through the hypnosis, they found out that our car was abducted right off the road and into a craft."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Tom wishes sometimes that he could physically regress to an age of his choice so that people wouldn't look at him with disgust."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "regress"?
Common synonyms include: retrogress, retrogression, reversion, about face, about-face, advance.
How do you use "regress" in a sentence?
Tom wishes sometimes that he could physically regress to an age of his choice so that people wouldn't look at him with disgust.
How do you pronounce "regress"?
Pronounced /ˈɹiːˌɡɹɛs/.
Etymology
(verb) From Latin regressus, past participle of regredior (“to go back”), from re- (“back”) + gradior (“to go”). Doublet of regressus.