gainful

G2A1I1N1F4U1L1

adjective

Contrary.

“How can we find gainful employment with dignity for the uneducated?”

Similar
advantageousgainsomelucrativelucriferouslucrificpayingprofitableremunerative
Opposite
disadvantageousfruitlessgainlessimprofitableloss-making
UncommonScrabble 11
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Meanings

gainful1

adjectivegainful (comparative more gainful, superlative most gainful)

comparative more gainful · superlative most gainful · alternative archaic gainfull

  1. Contrary.
  2. Disposed to taking advantage of.
  3. Troublesome; fractious; hard to handle.

gainful2

adjectivegainful (comparative more gainful, superlative most gainful)

comparative more gainful · superlative most gainful · alternative archaic gainfull

  1. Providing gain; profitable.

    How can we find gainful employment with dignity for the uneducated?

Synonyms & antonyms

Similar
advantageousgainsomelucrativelucriferouslucrificpayingprofitableremunerative
Opposite
disadvantageousfruitlessgainlessimprofitableloss-makingnonlucrativenonpayingungainfulunlucrativeunprofitableunremunerative
Similar
advantageousgainsomelucrativelucriferouslucrificpayingprofitableremunerative
Opposite
disadvantageousfruitlessgainlessimprofitableloss-makingnonlucrativenonpayingungainfulunlucrativeunprofitableunremunerative

adjectiveyielding a fair profit

Similar
paidpayingprofitable
Also see
advantageouslucrificpaidpayingprofitable

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

gainful · adjective

From gain (“against, contrary”) + -ful.

Full word history & related roots →

gainful · adjective

From gain (“profit, foredeal”) + -ful.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian изгоден, доходен
  • изгоден (izgoden)Providing gain; profitable
  • доходен (dohoden)Providing gain; profitable
Spanish remunerado
  • remuneradoProviding gain; profitable

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

FuliangGulfian
Cite this entry
APA

gainful. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gainful

MLA

“gainful.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gainful. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gainful,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gainful.

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