/ English Dictionary

GAIN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Synonyms:

amplification; gain

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

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 2

Meaning:

The advantageous quality of being beneficial

Synonyms:

gain; profit

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

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 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)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A quantity that is added

Example:

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

Synonyms:

addition; gain; increase

Classified under:

Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure

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)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Increase (one's body weight)

Example:

She gained 20 pounds when she stopped exercising

Synonyms:

gain; put on

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

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)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Increase or develop

Example:

the car gathers speed

Synonyms:

gain; gather

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

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

increase (become bigger or greater in amount)

Sentence frames:

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

Sense 3

Meaning:

Rise in rate or price

Example:

The stock market gained 24 points today

Synonyms:

advance; gain

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

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 4

Meaning:

Obtain advantages, such as points, etc.

Example:

win points

Synonyms:

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

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

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 5

Meaning:

Reach a destination, either real or abstract

Example:

I have to hit the MAC machine before the weekend starts

Synonyms:

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

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

"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"):

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)

find (succeed in reaching; arrive at)

make (reach in time)

top (reach or ascend the top of)

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

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)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 6

Meaning:

Win something through one's efforts

Example:

win someone's confidence and friendship

Synonyms:

acquire; gain; win

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

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 7

Meaning:

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

Example:

He clears $5,000 each month

Synonyms:

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

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

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"):

bear; pay; yield (bring in)

gross (earn before taxes, expenses, etc.)

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

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

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 8

Meaning:

Derive a benefit from

Example:

She profited from his vast experience

Synonyms:

benefit; gain; profit

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

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 9

Meaning:

Obtain

Example:

derive pleasure from one's garden

Synonyms:

derive; gain

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

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

Credits

 Context examples: 

The purpose which now took possession of her was a natural one to a poor and ambitious girl, but the means she took to gain her end were not the best.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Should we attempt to do so ourselves, the only possible result must be that we shall never return with the important contribution to science which we have already gained.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

She indeed gained the resignation she desired.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

The amount of weight gained over a period of time in relation to the total weight.

(Percentage Body Weight Gain, NCI Thesaurus)

The jerks perceptibly diminished; as the sled gained momentum, he caught them up, till it was moving steadily along.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

Less than normal weight gain in an infant or child, which may include poor linear and head growth.

(Pediatric Failure to Thrive, NCI Thesaurus)

The substance gaining electrons ("oxidizing agent" or "oxidant") is oxidizing the substance that is losing electrons ("reducing agent" or "reductant").

(Oxidation/Reduction, NCI Thesaurus)

I saw the door move, and instinctively tried to hold the latch on the outside, to gain a moment's time.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

NOTE: These studies are designed to determine the metabolism and pharmacologic actions of the drug in humans, the side effects associated with increasing doses, and, if possible, to gain early evidence on effectiveness.

(phase I trial, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

You may also be able to gain from an inheritance or loans from family members.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

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