Gaining

How to spell gaining

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce gaining

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does gaining mean?

1. verbObtaining or gradually acquiring something, or steadily increasing in amount or degree.
2. verbDrawing closer to someone ahead, typically in a race or competition.

Gaining in a sentence

• The company is gaining market share across Europe.

• The second runner is gaining on the leader with every stride.

• She is slowly gaining confidence before each big presentation.

• Our boat was gaining ground on the rivals near the finish line.

Where does gaining come from?

Language of origin: French

This is the present participle of the verb 'gain', which English borrowed from Old French in the late 1400s. The Old French verb was 'gaaignier' or 'gagner', meaning 'to earn, win, or profit', and it originally carried agricultural overtones of cultivating land and bringing in a harvest. The Old French word itself traces back to a Germanic root linked to grazing and foraging for food, so the earliest idea behind it was literally finding sustenance. Over time the sense broadened from winning crops or livestock to winning any advantage, profit, or increase. The spelling stays pleasantly regular: the base 'gain' simply takes '-ing', with no doubling of the final consonant because the word ends in a vowel plus 'n' after a long vowel sound.

How the word is built

• gain (to obtain, win)
• -ing (present participle/gerund suffix)