Link Centre Dictionary

gain

UK/ɡeɪn/ US/ˈɡeɪn/ common
verb (9) noun (4)

verb

1.

obtain

  • “derive pleasure from one”
Synonyms
2.

win something through one''s efforts

  • “I acquired a passing knowledge of Chinese”
  • “Gain an understanding of international finance”
Synonyms
Antonyms
3.

derive a benefit from

  • “She profited from his vast experience”
Synonyms
4.

reach a destination, either real or abstract

  • “We hit Detroit by noon”
  • “The water reached the doorstep”
  • “We barely made it to the finish line”
  • “I have to hit the MAC machine before the weekend starts”
Synonyms
5.

obtain advantages, such as points, etc.

  • “The home team was gaining ground”
  • “After defeating the Knicks, the Blazers pulled ahead of the Lakers in the battle for the number-one playoff berth in the Western Conference”
Synonyms
Antonyms
6.

rise in rate or price

  • “The stock market gained 24 points today”
Synonyms
7.

increase in

  • “gain momentum”
  • “gain nerve”
8.

earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages

  • “How much do you make a month in your new job?”
  • “She earns a lot in her new job”
  • “this merger brought in lots of money”
  • “He clears $5,000 each month”
Synonyms
9.

increase (one''s body weight)

  • “She gained 20 pounds when she stopped exercising”
Synonyms
Antonyms

noun

1.

a quantity that is added

  • “there was an addition to property taxes this year”
  • “they recorded the cattle”
Synonyms
2.

the advantageous quality of being beneficial

Synonyms
3.
4.

the amount by which the revenue of a business exceeds its cost of operating

Antonyms

Origin

From Middle English gayn, gain, gein (“profit, advantage”), from Old Norse gagn (“benefit, advantage, use”), from Proto-Germanic *gagną, *gaganą (“gain, profit", literally "return”), from Proto-Germanic *gagana (“back, against, in return”), a reduplication of Proto-Germanic *ga- (“with, together”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm (“next to, at, with, along”). Cognate with Icelandic gagn (“gain, advantage, use”), Swedish gagn (“benefit, profit”), Danish gavn (“gain, profit, success”), Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌲𐌴𐌹𐌲𐌰𐌽 (gageigan, “to gain, profit”), Old Norse gegn (“ready”), dialectal Swedish gen (“useful, noteful”), Latin cum (“with”); see gain-, again, against. Compare also Middle English gaynen, geinen (“to be of use, profit, avail”), Icelandic and Swedish gagna (“to avail, help”), Danish gavne (“to benefit”). The Middle English word was reinforced by Middle French gain (“gain, profit, advancement, cultivation”), from Old French gaaing, gaaigne, gaigne, a noun derivative of gaaignier, gaigner (“to till, earn, win”), from Frankish *waiþanōn (“to pasture, graze, hunt for food”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *waiþiz, *waiþō, *waiþijō (“pasture, field, hunting ground”); compare Old High German weidō...

Phrases

  • brain gain
  • capital gain
  • gain ground
  • gain line
  • gain momentum
  • gain of function
  • gain on
  • gain one's spurs
  • gain over
  • gain steam
  • gain the wind
  • gain twist

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

Related verbs

Entails

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.