gain
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: enpr: gān
ipa: /ɡeɪn/
rhymes: -eɪn
Forms: form: gains
form: gaining
form: gained
form: gained
form: no-table-tags
form: glossary
form: gain
form: gain
form: gained
form: gain'd
form: gain
form: gainest
form: gained
form: gainedst
form: gain'd
form: gains
form: gaineth
form: gained
form: gain'd
form: gain
form: gained
form: gain'd
form: gain
form: gained
form: gain'd
form: gain
form: -
form: gaining
form: gained
form: gain'd
Etymology: 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 weidōn, weidanōn (“to hunt, forage for food”) (Modern German Weide (“pasture”)), Old Norse veiða (“to catch, hunt”), Old English wǣþan (“to hunt, chase, pursue”). Related to wide.
Senses: examples: text: Looks like you’ve gained a new friend.
text: What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 16:26:
text: Another answers, ‘Let him be,
⁠He loves to make parade of pain,
⁠That with his piping he may gain
The praise that comes to constancy.’
ref: 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XXI”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 35:
glosses: To acquire possession of.
examples: text: The sick man gains daily.
text: Thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Ezekiel 22:12:
glosses: To have or receive advantage or profit; to acquire gain; to grow rich; to advance in interest, health, or happiness; to make progress.
examples: text: to gain a battle; to gain a case at law
glosses: To come off winner or victor in; to be successful in; to obtain by competition.
examples: text: Then they had bouts of wrestling and of cudgel play, so that every day they gained in skill and strength.
ref: 1883, Howard Pyle, chapter V, in The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood […], New York, N.Y.: […] Charles Scribner’s Sons […], →OCLC:
glosses: To increase.
examples: text: to gain ground
text: I’m gaining (on you).
glosses: To grow more likely to catch or overtake someone.
examples: text: to gain the top of a mountain
text: Ernest laughed harshly and savagely when he had gained the street.
ref: 1908 February 19, Jack London, The Iron Heel, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., →OCLC:
glosses: To reach.
examples: text: If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 18:15:
text: to gratify the queen, and gain the court
ref: 1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
glosses: To draw into any interest or party; to win to one’s side; to conciliate.
examples: text: I’ve been gaining.
text: Thinspo, bonespo, meanspo, sweetspo, anything that could motivate me not to eat, not to consume, not to gain, not to fail.
ref: 2020, Riley Willman, “Ana”, in Rapids Review (Anoka Ramsey Community College):
glosses: To put on weight.
glosses: To run fast.
raw_tags: of a clock or watch
Derived terms: gainable
gainer
gain ground
gain line
gain momentum
gain on
gain one's spurs
gain over
gain steam
gain the wind
gain time
gain traction
gain upon
gain weight
outgain
overgain
undergain
ungained
what you gain on the swings you lose on the roundabouts
what you lose on the swings you gain on the roundabouts