The key question is not what can I gain but what do I have to lose.
Source: tatoeba (1745)
Gain
/ɡeɪn/
Synonyms for "gain" (528 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (106)
Noun(17 words)
acceptaccessaccessionaccomplishaccretionaccrualaccrueaccruementaccumulateaccumulationachieveachievementacquireacquisitionadditionadmitadvanceadvantageaggrandizementameliorate
Show 49 more words
amendamplificationannexappreciateappreciationapproachargue intoarrivearrive atarrive inascentassumeattainattain toattainmentaugmentationavailavailable gainbagballoonballooningbe receivedbe responsible forbe seized ofbear the palmbehalfbehoofbenefitbenisonblessingbloatbloatingblow inbob upboomboonboostbootybreedbring downbring inbring onbring overbring roundbring to reasonbring uponbroadenbroadeningbuildup
Verb(17 words)
accruedacquireacquire a skillacquiredacquiresadvanceamplify loudnessappreciatedappreciatesarrive atattainbenefitbenefitedbenefittedbenefittingboost motor speedbring in
Adjective(3 words)
acquired skillactual growthbehavioral progress
Strong matches (158)
capital gainscaptivatecapturecarrycarry awaycarry itcarry offcarry the daycatchcatch up withchalk upcharmcheck inclean upcleanupclearclear profitclock inclose withcollect
Show 107 more words
comecome alongcome bycome income in forcome intocome oncome out firstcome tocome to handcome up tocome up withcompasscompleteconconquerconsummatecontractconvalesceconvincecorralcrescendocurecurrent gaincutdead timederivederive fromdeserteddevelopdevelopmentdividenddividendsdrag downdrawdraw fromdraw overearnearningsedemaeduceelevationemolumentenhancementenlargemententer into possessionexpansionextensionfall in withfall intofetchfetch upfetch up atfilthy lucrefindfinish in frontfloodflukefulfillgain groundgain ongain overgain strengthgain the daygain upongainsgarnergathergetget aheadget alongget betterget inget thereget togettingsgleangleaninggleaningsgo aheadgo forwardgo upgoodgraduategreateninggrossgross profitgrowgrow bettergrowthgushharvesthavehave coming inhealhikehithit townhoardholduphookhook inhysteresisimproveimprovementincomeincrease
Noun(15 words)
Adjective(2 words)
certain benefitenvironmental benefit
Related words (264)
Verb(34 words)
Noun(48 words)
increase crank rotationincrease economic valueincrease extentincrease in valueincrementskazanland a joblawfully obtainedleapslearnedlegitimately earnedlootsmade thingnet benefitnorwegian tanotchnotchesnotchingobtainobtaining
Show 28 more words
obtainmentold norse fáaoutperformpayoffpayoffsprocure sampleprofit making businessprofitabilityprofitingreturnrewardriserise in influencerisen in statusrisesrising of civilizationscoresscoring metricsecuresnagsspeedupssurpasssurplussurplussingupsideupward changeupward movewins
incrementincurinflationintensifyinterestinvigorateinviteitjumpkillinglaglapleapleave behindleave standinglooklook uplucremakemake a killing
Show 161 more words
make headwaymake itmake progressmake stridesmakingsmarginmelioratemendmoneymountmountingmultiplicationmultiplynarrow the gapneat profitnetnet profitnotchobtainoperational gainoutdistanceoutpaceoutputoutput lagoutrunoutsailoutstripouttalkoverhaulovertakepaper profitspasspaypaymentpelfpercentageperfectperkperk upperksperquisitepersuadepickpick uppickingspluspop uppossessprevail onprevail uponprevail withprizeproceedproceedsprocess lagprocureproduceproductivenessprofitprofitsprogressproliferateproliferationprosperpullpull downpull inpunch inpurchasepurposeraiserake offrake-offrallyreachrealizereapreceiptsreceiverecoveryrecuperateregainremedyrenewreturnreturnsrevenuerevivering inriseroll inrunrun upsacksakescoresecuresellsell one onshape upshareshoot upshow improvementshow upsign inskyrocketsnowballsnowballingspreadstorestrengthensucceedsurgeswayswellswellingtaketake intake offtake ontake overtake the caketake-intalk intotalk overthroughputtime constantstime intime leadtriumphtumescenceturn upupuppingupsurgeupswinguptrendupturnusefulnesswanglewangle intowaxwaxingwealthwear downwelcomewelfarewell-beingwidenwideningwinwin outwin overwin the battlewin the laurelswin the palmwin the prizewin throughwinningsworld of goodyield
Adjective(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: increase, profit, accept, access, accesses.
- Sentence evidence is available for gain, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "gain".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "gain"
Keep "gain" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "gain" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "gain", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "gain" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
32 entriesacquireacquisitionactadvancementadvantageamountamount of moneyattainmentaugmentationbenefitchangechange stateclimbeconomic resultfinance resultget
Showing 16 of 32 words.
More specific
14 entriesCollocations
11 entriescapital gaineconomic gaingain experiencegain groundgain knowledgegain momentumgain permissiongain weightnet gainshort term gainweight gain
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
6 entriesAntonyms
3 entriessimilar
5 entriesSample sentences
32 total sentences available.
I don't think you can gain his ear.
Source: tatoeba (15837)
No pain, no gain.
Source: tatoeba (18370)
No gain without pains.
Source: tatoeba (18374)
Showing 4 of 32 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "gain"?
Closest matches include increase, profit, accept, access, accesses.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "gain"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.