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gain

/geɪn/

/geɪn/

Other forms: gained; gains; gaining

A gain is an increase in something, especially something good. You gain knowledge by attending philosophy lectures and reading books.

When you gain something, you acquire it or add to what you already have. You can gain friends by joining clubs, and you can gain weight by eating ice cream every day. Gain is also a noun, which you can use to talk about what you've gained, like the health gain you get from cutting back on that ice cream. The root of gain is the Old French gaaignier, "to earn, trade, or capture."

Definitions of gain
  1. verb
    obtain
    synonyms: derive
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    types:
    draw, reap
    get or derive
    type of:
    obtain
    come into possession of
  2. verb
    win something through one's efforts
    Gain an understanding of international finance”
    synonyms: acquire, win
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    Antonyms:
    lose
    fail to get or obtain
    types:
    cozen
    cheat or trick
    type of:
    acquire, get
    come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
  3. verb
    derive a benefit from
    synonyms: benefit, profit
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    types:
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    cash in on
    take advantage of or capitalize on
    profiteer
    make an unreasonable profit, as on the sale of difficult to obtain goods
    capitalise, capitalize, take advantage
    draw advantages from
    pyramid
    enlarge one's holdings on an exchange on a continued rise by using paper profits as margin to buy additional amounts
    clear, net, sack, sack up
    make as a net profit
    type of:
    acquire, get
    come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
  4. verb
    obtain advantages, such as points, etc.
    “The home team was gaining ground”
    synonyms: advance, gain ground, get ahead, make headway, pull ahead, win
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    Antonyms:
    drop off, fall back, fall behind, lose, recede
    retreat
    types:
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    steal
    steal a base
    hit, rack up, score, tally
    gain points in a game
    par
    make a score (on a hole) equal to par
    shoot
    score
    convert
    score (a spare)
    convert
    complete successfully
    convert
    score an extra point or points after touchdown by kicking the ball through the uprights or advancing the ball into the end zone
    homer
    hit a home run
    kick
    make a goal
    eagle
    shoot in two strokes under par
    hole up
    score a hole in one
    ace
    score an ace against
    walk
    obtain a base on balls
    equalise, equalize, get even
    compensate; make the score equal
    get, have, make
    achieve a point or goal
  5. verb
    reach a destination, either real or abstract
    synonyms: arrive at, attain, hit, make, reach
    make
    reach in time
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    types:
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    catch up
    reach the point where one should be after a delay
    scale, surmount
    reach the highest point of
    access, get at
    reach or gain access to
    bottom out
    reach the low point
    peak, top out
    to reach the highest point; attain maximum intensity, activity
    breast, summit
    reach the summit (of a mountain)
    top
    reach or ascend the top of
    make
    reach in time
    find
    succeed in reaching; arrive at
    culminate
    reach the highest altitude or the meridian, of a celestial body
    come through, get through
    succeed in reaching a real or abstract destination after overcoming problems
    ground, run aground
    hit or reach the ground
    come back
    even the score, in sports
    crest
    reach a high point
  6. noun
    the advantageous quality of being beneficial
    synonyms: profit
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    types:
    account
    the quality of taking advantage
    gainfulness, lucrativeness, profitability, profitableness
    the quality of affording gain or benefit or profit
    type of:
    advantage, vantage
    the quality of having a superior or more favorable position
  7. verb
    increase or develop
    “the peace movement gained momentum”
    synonyms: gather
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    type of:
    increase
    become bigger or greater in amount
  8. verb
    rise in rate or price
    “The stock market gained 24 points today”
    synonyms: advance
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    type of:
    climb, mount, rise, wax
    go up or advance
  9. verb
    earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages
    synonyms: bring in, clear, earn, make, pull in, realise, realize, take in
    make
    act in a certain way so as to acquire
    clear, net, sack, sack up
    make as a net profit
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    types:
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    eke out, squeeze out
    make by laborious and precarious means
    profit, turn a profit
    make a profit; gain money or materially
    rake off
    take money from an illegal transaction
    bring home, take home
    earn as a salary or wage
    rake in, shovel in
    earn large sums of money
    gross
    earn before taxes, expenses, etc.
    bear, pay, yield
    bring in
    line one's pockets
    make a lot of money
    turn a nice dime, turn a nice dollar, turn a nice penny
    make a satisfactory profit
    clean up
    make a big profit; often in a short period of time
    clear, net
    yield as a net profit
    pay off
    yield a profit or result
    monetize
    use something as a source of income or profit
    type of:
    acquire, get
    come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
  10. verb
    increase (one's body weight)
    “She gained 20 pounds when she stopped exercising”
    synonyms: put on
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    Antonyms:
    lose weight, melt off, reduce, slenderize, slim, slim down, thin
    take off weight
    types:
    fill out, flesh out, round
    become round, plump, or shapely
    pack on
    gain (weight)
    type of:
    change state, turn
    undergo a transformation or a change of position or action
  11. noun
    a quantity that is added
    “they recorded the cattle's gain in weight over a period of weeks”
    synonyms: addition, increase
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    types:
    accretion
    something contributing to growth or increase
    type of:
    indefinite quantity
    an estimated quantity
  12. noun
    the amount by which the revenue of a business exceeds its cost of operating
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    Antonyms:
    loss, red, red ink
    the amount by which the cost of a business exceeds its revenue
    types:
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    financial gain
    the amount of monetary gain
    paper profit
    an unrealized gain on an investment calculated by subtracting the investor's cost from the current market price
    income
    the financial gain (earned or unearned) accruing over a given period of time
    profits, win, winnings
    something won (especially money)
    unearned increment
    an unearned rise in the market value of property resulting from general market factors
    capital gain
    the amount by which the selling price of an asset exceeds the purchase price; the gain is realized when the asset is sold
    type of:
    amount, amount of money, sum, sum of money
    a quantity of money
  13. noun
    the amount of increase in signal power or voltage or current expressed as the ratio of output to input
    synonyms: amplification
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    types:
    loop gain
    (telecommunication) the gain of a feedback amplifier or system as a function of how much output is fed back to the input
    type of:
    increase, increment
    the amount by which something increases
Pronunciation
US

/geɪn/

UK

/geɪn/

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