v. 1
To continue unchanged in place, form, or condition, or undiminished in quantity; to abide; to stay; to endure; to last.
Promise me you will always remain my good little girl.
v. 2
To stay after others or other parts have been removed or otherwise disappeared.
After three rounds of interviews, only 5 candidates remained.
v. 3
To be left after a number or quantity has been subtracted or cut off; to be left as not included or comprised.
If you divide 20 apples between three people, each gets six and two remain.

Related words

Word family: remainder

Forms

Past participle: remained
e.g. remained → stayed, lived, sticked, lasted…

Choose the right word

Remain, Lodge, Sojourn, Stay, Tarry or Wait?

Lodge, sojourn, stay, tarry, and wait always imply a limited time; lodge, to pass the night; sojourn, to remain temporarily; live, dwell, reside, to have a permanent home.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

live More people live in the northern part of the city.
stand I don't mind the cold, but I can't stand the heat.
await Take heart, then, brave ones, our homes await you.

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
remain		steady
live		rising
stand		steady
await		falling

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters: lie¹
4 letters: last¹, keep¹, live¹, stay¹, wait¹, hold¹, rest¹, bide¹
5 letters: stand¹, stick¹, exist², lodge¹, dwell¹, abide², await², tarry²
6 letters: attend², endure², reside², linger², belave
7 letters: survive², persist², subsist²
8 letters: continue³

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (exist² = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français: demeurer
Italiano: soggiornare
Español: quedarse