Meaning of gain in English

Table of contents
  1. Pronunciation
  2. Verb
    1. Etymology
    2. Definitions
  3. Noun
    1. Definitions

  1. Pronunciation

    /ɡeɪn/

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  1. Verb

    gain

    Etymology

    late 15th century (as a noun, originally in the sense ‘booty’): from Old French gaigne (noun), gaignier (verb), of Germanic origin

    Definitions

    1. obtain

    Examples

    • « derive pleasure from one's garden »
  2. 2. win something through one's efforts

    Examples

    • « I acquired a passing knowledge of Chinese »
    • « Gain an understanding of international finance »

    Antonyms

    Derived terms

  3. 3. derive a benefit from

    Examples

    • « She profited from his vast experience »

    Derived terms

  4. 4. reach a destination, either real or abstract

    Examples

    • « 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 »

    Derived terms

  5. 5. obtain advantages, such as points, etc.

    Examples

    • « 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 »

    Antonyms

    Derived terms

  6. 6. rise in rate or price

    Examples

    • « The stock market gained 24 points today »

    Derived terms

  7. 7. increase in

    Examples

    • « gain momentum »
    • « gain nerve »
  8. 8. earn on some commercial or business transaction

    Examples

    • « 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 »

    Derived terms

  9. 9. increase (one's body weight)

    Examples

    • « She gained 20 pounds when she stopped exercising »

    Antonyms

    Derived terms

  10. Noun

    gain

    Definitions

    1. a quantity that is added

    Examples

    • « there was an addition to property taxes this year »
    • « they recorded the cattle's gain in weight over a period of weeks »

    Derived terms

  11. 2. the advantageous quality of being beneficial

    Derived terms

  12. 3. the amount of increase in signal power or voltage or current expressed as the ratio of output to input
  13. 4. the amount by which the revenue of a business exceeds its cost of operating

    Antonyms

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