Meaning of gain in English

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

   • lose
3. 3. derive a benefit from

   Examples

   • « She profited from his vast experience »
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 »
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

   • fall back
   • lose
   • drop off
   • fall behind
   • recede
6. 6. rise in rate or price

   Examples

   • « The stock market gained 24 points today »
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 »
9. 9. increase (one's body weight)

   Examples

   • « She gained 20 pounds when she stopped exercising »

   Antonyms

   • reduce
   • melt off
   • lose weight
   • slim
   • slenderize
   • thin
   • slim down

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 »
11. 2. the advantageous quality of being beneficial
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

    • loss
    • red ink
    • red