GAIN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does gain mean? 

• GAIN (noun)
  The noun GAIN has 4 senses:

1. a quantity that is added

2. the advantageous quality of being beneficial

3. the amount of increase in signal power or voltage or current expressed as the ratio of output to input

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

  Familiarity information: GAIN used as a noun is uncommon.

• GAIN (verb)
  The verb GAIN has 9 senses:

1. obtain

2. win something through one's efforts

3. derive a benefit from

4. reach a destination, either real or abstract

5. obtain advantages, such as points, etc.

6. rise in rate or price

7. increase or develop

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

9. increase (one's body weight)

  Familiarity information: GAIN used as a verb is familiar.

 Dictionary entry details 

• GAIN (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A quantity that is added

Classified under:

Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure

Synonyms:

addition; gain; increase

Context example:

they recorded the cattle's gain in weight over a period of weeks

Hypernyms ("gain" is a kind of...):

indefinite quantity (an estimated quantity)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "gain"):

accretion (something contributing to growth or increase)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The advantageous quality of being beneficial

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

gain; profit

Hypernyms ("gain" is a kind of...):

advantage; vantage (the quality of having a superior or more favorable position)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "gain"):

account (the quality of taking advantage)

gainfulness; lucrativeness; profitability; profitableness (the quality of affording gain or benefit or profit)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The amount of increase in signal power or voltage or current expressed as the ratio of output to input

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

amplification; gain

Hypernyms ("gain" is a kind of...):

increase; increment (the amount by which something increases)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "gain"):

loop gain ((telecommunication) the gain of a feedback amplifier or system as a function of how much output is fed back to the input)

Sense 4

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

Hypernyms ("gain" is a kind of...):

amount; amount of money; sum; sum of money (a quantity of money)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "gain"):

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)

Antonym:

loss (the amount by which the cost of a business exceeds its revenue)

• GAIN (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Obtain

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

derive; gain

Context example:

derive pleasure from one's garden

Hypernyms (to "gain" is one way to...):

obtain (come into possession of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "gain"):

draw; reap (get or derive)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something from somebody

Sense 2

Meaning:

Win something through one's efforts

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

acquire; gain; win

Context example:

win someone's confidence and friendship

Hypernyms (to "gain" is one way to...):

acquire; get (come into the possession of something concrete or abstract)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "gain"):

cozen (cheat or trick)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something from somebody

Sentence example:

They gain the money

Derivation:

gainer (a person who gains (gains an advantage or gains profits))

Sense 3

Meaning:

Derive a benefit from

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

benefit; gain; profit

Context example:

She profited from his vast experience

Hypernyms (to "gain" is one way to...):

acquire; get (come into the possession of something concrete or abstract)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "gain"):

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)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

gainer (a person who gains (gains an advantage or gains profits))

Sense 4

Meaning:

Reach a destination, either real or abstract

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

arrive at; attain; gain; hit; make; reach

Context example:

I have to hit the MAC machine before the weekend starts

"Gain" entails doing...:

go; locomote; move; travel (change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically)

Verb group:

make (reach in time)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "gain"):

find (succeed in reaching; arrive at)

ground; run aground (hit or reach the ground)

come through; get through (succeed in reaching a real or abstract destination after overcoming problems)

culminate (reach the highest altitude or the meridian, of a celestial body)

make (reach in time)

top (reach or ascend the top of)

peak; top out (to reach the highest point; attain maximum intensity, activity)

bottom out (reach the low point)

access; get at (reach or gain access to)

scale; surmount (reach the highest point of)

catch up (reach the point where one should be after a delay)

breast; summit (reach the summit (of a mountain))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 5

Meaning:

Obtain advantages, such as points, etc.

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Synonyms:

advance; gain; gain ground; get ahead; make headway; pull ahead; win

Context example:

win points

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "gain"):

steal (steal a base)

hit; rack up; score; tally (gain points in a game)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Antonym:

fall back (retreat)

Derivation:

gainer (a person who gains (gains an advantage or gains profits))

Sense 6

Meaning:

Rise in rate or price

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

advance; gain

Context example:

The stock market gained 24 points today

Hypernyms (to "gain" is one way to...):

climb; mount; rise; wax (go up or advance)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

The moon will soon gain

Sense 7

Meaning:

Increase or develop

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

gain; gather

Context example:

the car gathers speed

Hypernyms (to "gain" is one way to...):

increase (become bigger or greater in amount)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 8

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

bring in; clear; earn; gain; make; pull in; realise; realize; take in

Context example:

He clears $5,000 each month

Hypernyms (to "gain" is one way to...):

acquire; get (come into the possession of something concrete or abstract)

Verb group:

clear; net; sack; sack up (make as a net profit)

make (act in a certain way so as to acquire)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "gain"):

bring home; take home (earn as a salary or wage)

bear; pay; yield (bring in)

gross (earn before taxes, expenses, etc.)

rake in; shovel in (earn large sums of money)

rake off (take money from an illegal transaction)

profit; turn a profit (make a profit; gain money or materially)

eke out; squeeze out (make by laborious and precarious means)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

They gain the money

Derivation:

gainer (a person who gains (gains an advantage or gains profits))

Sense 9

Meaning:

Increase (one's body weight)

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

gain; put on

Context example:

She gained 20 pounds when she stopped exercising

Hypernyms (to "gain" is one way to...):

change state; turn (undergo a transformation or a change of position or action)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "gain"):

fill out; flesh out; round (become round, plump, or shapely)

pack on (gain (weight))

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

Antonym:

reduce (take off weight)

Derivation:

gainer (a person who gains weight)

 Context examples 

And in vain he strove to gain the shelter of the cabin.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Perhaps I may gain more knowledge out of the folly of this madman than I shall from the teaching of the most wise.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) Has he/she gained weight?

(NPI - Gained Weight, NCI Thesaurus)

Not acquired, gained or come to the possession.

(Not Obtained, NCI Thesaurus)

‘Then, good-bye, Mr. Jabez Wilson, and let me congratulate you once more on the important position which you have been fortunate enough to gain.’

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The effects of mutation range from single base changes to loss or gain of complete chromosomes.

(Mutation Abnormality, NCI Thesaurus)

This time he gained southern Oregon before he was caught and returned.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

A cell death process that is morphologically characterized by a gain in cell volume (oncosis), swelling of organelles, plasma membrane rupture and subsequent loss of intracellular contents.

(Necrotic Process, NCI Thesaurus)

A drug used to help patients gain weight after injury, chronic infection, or severe illness.

(Oxandrolone, NCI Dictionary)

Once he gained his feet, but his legs were too weak to sustain him, and he slowly wilted and sank back into the snow.

(White Fang, by Jack London)