gain-

prefix

Prefix meaning "against", "contrary to", "in opposition to", "counter-".

“gainrising, gaincoming”

OriginMiddle English gain- ← Old English geġn- ← Proto-West Germanic *gagin →
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Meanings

prefix

alternative gane-

  1. Prefix meaning "against", "contrary to", "in opposition to", "counter-".

    gainsay, gainstand, gainstay, gainstrive

  2. Prefix denoting reciprocal action; "in return"; "counter-".

    gainclap, gaingive, gainyield

  3. Prefix denoting restoration or a return to a previous state; "back again".

    gainbuy, gaincover, gaintake

  4. Prefix denoting repetition; "over again"; "anew"; again-.

    gainrising, gaincoming

Origin

  1. Proto-Germanic*gagin“towards, against”
  2. Proto-West Germanic*gagin
  3. Old Englishgeġn-
  4. Middle Englishgain-
  5. Englishgain-

From Middle English gain- (prefix), from Old English geġn-, gēan- (“back, against, in return”, prefix), from Proto-West Germanic *gagin, from Proto-Germanic *gagin (“towards, against”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian juun- (“counter-”), West Frisian tsjin- (“counter-”), Dutch tegen- (“counter-”), German gegen- (“against, toward, at”), Icelandic gagn- (“through”). More at again.

More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

gain-. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gain-

MLA

“gain-.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gain-. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gain-,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gain-.

Source: gain- on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.