remaining

remaining — adjective

1. still present or available after the rest has been taken, used, or finished

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

still present or available after the rest has been taken, used, or finished

Example

The remaining bread from yesterday went into the pudding that Asher made.

attributive use: remaining + noun (bread, food, tickets)

Quan checked the remaining questions on the test before the bell rang.

Common collocations
  • remaining + noun: remaining food, remaining time, remaining money, remaining questions, remaining tickets
  • adverb + remaining: still remaining, left remaining
Synonyms
  • left

    more general and informal; works in most of the same positions ('any food left?')

  • leftover

    usually describes food or materials not consumed, with a slightly informal tone

  • outstanding

    used for work, payments, or issues still to be dealt with, not for physical objects

  • residual

    more technical or formal; describes a small amount left after a process

Antonyms
  • used up

    emphasises that nothing is left because everything has been consumed

  • gone

    informal way of saying nothing remains ('all the bread is gone')

Usage Note

Used before a noun (attributive: the remaining food) or after a linking verb or noun (predicative: money remaining). Unlike many adjectives that also work as verbs, 'remaining' cannot be replaced by 'remain' before a noun.

Common Mistakes

Please eat the remain food before it goes bad.
Please eat the remaining food before it goes bad.
'Remain' is a verb; the adjective form is 'remaining'.
There is no remain time left for the exam.
There is no remaining time left for the exam.
Use 'remaining' (adjective), not 'remain' (verb), to describe what is left over.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe what is still present after part has been removed or used, but they differ in scope and register. 'Left' is the broadest and most common — it works for food, time, money, or abstract concepts ('any seats left?'). 'Leftover' is narrower, referring mainly to food or materials that were not consumed ('leftover pizza'). 'Outstanding' applies to tasks, payments, or issues that still need attention, not to physical objects. 'Residual' is the most formal and technical, describing small amounts that remain after a chemical, industrial, or statistical process. For everyday situations, 'left' and 'remaining' are the safest choices; 'leftover' suits casual food references; 'outstanding' fits bills or homework; 'residual' belongs in specialised writing.

left ↗leftover ↗outstanding ↗residual ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • the remaining + noun
  • what is remaining
  • all that remains

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The adjective 'remaining' comes from the verb 'remain', which entered English through Old French 'remaindre', from Latin 'remānēre' — a combination of 're-' (back) and 'manēre' (to stay). The original sense was 'to stay behind'. The adjective form developed in the 1400s, carrying the idea of what stays behind after everything else has moved or been taken.