Meanings
present singular third person gains ground · participle present gaining ground · participle past gained ground · past gained ground
- To make progress or obtain advantage; to gain traction.
Team Red has gained ground on Team Blue since October.
1 more example
No matter how hard I try, I don't seem to be gaining ground.
Synonyms: gain momentum, gain traction, pick up · Antonyms: give ground, lose ground
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo make progress or obtain advantage; to gain traction.
More synonyms by meaning
verbobtain advantages, such as points, etc.
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Metaphor, suggesting e.g. military acquisition of territory.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Dutch terrein winnen
- terrein winnento make progress or obtain advantage
Finnish saada jalansijaa, vallata alaa
- saada jalansijaato make progress or obtain advantage
- vallata alaato make progress or obtain advantage
- menestyäto make progress or obtain advantage
French gagner du terrain
- gagner du terrainto make progress or obtain advantage
German Boden gewinnen, an Boden gewinnen
- Boden gewinnento make progress or obtain advantage
- an Boden gewinnento make progress or obtain advantage
Greek κερδίζω έδαφος
- κερδίζω έδαφος (kerdízo édafos)to make progress or obtain advantage
Hungarian teret hódít, tért hódít
- teret hódítto make progress or obtain advantage
- tért hódítto make progress or obtain advantage
- teret nyerto make progress or obtain advantage
- erősödikto make progress or obtain advantage
- felzárkózikto make progress or obtain advantage
Italian guadagnare terreno
- guadagnare terrenoto make progress or obtain advantage
Māori āhukahuka, kāhukahuka
- āhukahukato make progress or obtain advantage
- kāhukahukato make progress or obtain advantage
Polish robić postępy, zrobić postępy
- robić postępyto make progress or obtain advantage
- zrobić postępyto make progress or obtain advantage
Romanian câștiga teren
- câștiga terento make progress or obtain advantage
Russian преуспевать, расти
- преуспевать (preuspevatʹ)to make progress or obtain advantage
- расти (rasti)to make progress or obtain advantage
Spanish ganar terreno, coger impulso
- ganar terrenoto make progress or obtain advantage
- coger impulsoto make progress or obtain advantage
Cite this entry
gain ground. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gain%20ground
“gain ground.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gain%20ground. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gain ground,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gain%20ground.
Source: gain ground on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.