Meanings
proverb
alternative no pains, no gains · alternative no gain without pain
- One must be willing to endure some inconvenience or discomfort (e.g., hard work, risk, or both) in order to achieve worthwhile goals.
Near-synonyms: nothing ventured, nothing gained; no guts, no glory
Synonyms: nothing ventured, nothing gained, no guts, no glory
Synonyms & antonyms
proverbOne must be willing to endure some inconvenience or discomfort (e.g., hard work, risk, or both) in order to achieve worthwhile goals.
Origin
Came into prominence around 1982 through the American actress Jane Fonda's aerobic workout videos.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic مَنْ جَدَّ وَجَدَ وَمَنْ زَرَعَ حَصَدَ
- مَنْ جَدَّ وَجَدَ وَمَنْ زَرَعَ حَصَدَ (man jadda wajada waman zaraʕa ḥaṣada)discomfort is necessary to achieve goals
Czech bez práce nejsou koláče
- bez práce nejsou koláčediscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
Danish hvo intet vover, intet vinder, man skal yde før man kan nyde
- hvo intet vover, intet vinderdiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- man skal yde før man kan nydediscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
Dutch voor iets hoort iets, wie niet waagt, die niet wint
- voor iets hoort ietsdiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- wie niet waagt, die niet wintdiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- niet geschoten is altijd misdiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- de kost gaat voor de baat uitdiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
Esperanto kiu ne riskas, tiu ne gajnas
- kiu ne riskas, tiu ne gajnasdiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
Estonian kes kannatab, see kaua elab
- kes kannatab, see kaua elabdiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
Finnish vaikeuksien kautta voittoon, yrittänyttä ei laiteta
- vaikeuksien kautta voittoondiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- yrittänyttä ei laitetadiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
French qui ne risque rien n'a rien, qui ne tente rien n'a rien
- qui ne risque rien n'a riendiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- qui ne tente rien n'a riendiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- on n'a rien sans riendiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
German ohne Schweiß kein Preis, ohne Fleiß kein Preis
- ohne Schweiß kein Preisdiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- ohne Fleiß kein Preisdiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- von nichts kommt nichtsdiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- wer nicht wagt, der nicht gewinntdiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- Schmerz vergeht, die Ehre bleibtdiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- Schmerz vergeht, der Stolz bleibtdiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- Qualität kommt von Qualdiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
Hebrew הזורעים בדמעה, ברינה יקצורו
- הזורעים בדמעה, ברינה יקצורוdiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
Hindi बिना सेवा मेवा नहीं मिलता
- बिना सेवा मेवा नहीं मिलताdiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
Hungarian mindenért meg kell szenvedni, aki nem dolgozik, ne is egyék
- mindenért meg kell szenvednidiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- aki nem dolgozik, ne is egyékdiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- aki mer, az nyerdiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
Icelandic enginn verður óbarinn biskup
- enginn verður óbarinn biskupdiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
Indonesian berakit-rakit ke hulu, berenang-renang ke tepian
- berakit-rakit ke hulu, berenang-renang ke tepiandiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
Italian per apparire bisogna soffrire, chi non risica non rosica
- per apparire bisogna soffrirediscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- chi non risica non rosicadiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- non c'è rosa senza spinediscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
Korean 고진감래
- 고진감래 (gojin'gamnae)discomfort is necessary to achieve goals
Latin quī arat olīvētum, rogat fructum, quī stercorat, exōrat
- quī arat olīvētum, rogat fructumdiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- quī stercorat, exōratdiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- quī caedit, cōgitdiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- sine labōre nōn erit pānis in ōrediscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- sine labōre nōn est pānis in ōrediscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
Malay kalau tidak dipecahkan ruyung, manakan dapat sagunya
- kalau tidak dipecahkan ruyung, manakan dapat sagunyadiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
Norwegian den som intet våger, intet vinner
- den som intet våger, intet vinnerdiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
Persian نابرده رنج گنج میسر نمی شود
- نابرده رنج گنج میسر نمی شودdiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
Polish bez pracy nie ma kołaczy, bez zachodu nie ma miodu
- bez pracy nie ma kołaczydiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- bez zachodu nie ma miodudiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- bez pracy nie ma macydiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- pieczone gołąbki nie lecą same do gąbkidiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- kto ma ręce do pracy, ten się naje kołaczydiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- żeby mieć kołaczy, trzeba użyć pracydiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
Portuguese sem esforço não dá, ter que ralar pra conseguir
- sem esforço não dádiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- ter que ralar pra conseguirdiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- sem dor, sem ganhodiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- quem não arrisca não petiscadiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
Scottish Gaelic am fear nach dèan cur rè latha fuar, cha dèan e buain rè latha teth, bonnach air bois, cha bhruich e is cha loisg
- am fear nach dèan cur rè latha fuar, cha dèan e buain rè latha tethdiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- bonnach air bois, cha bhruich e is cha loisgdiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
Slovak bez práce nie sú koláče, kto nič nerobí, nič nepokazí
- bez práce nie sú koláčediscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- kto nič nerobí, nič nepokazídiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
Spanish sin dolor no hay ganancia, el que no arriesga no gana
- sin dolor no hay gananciadiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- el que no arriesga no ganadiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- no hay atajo sin trabajodiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- perro que no camina, no encuentra huesodiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- quien algo quiere, algo le cuestadiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- quien no se arriesga no pasa la mardiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- el que quiera peces, que se moje el culodiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- para presumir, hay que sufrirdiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
Swedish man måste satsa för att vinna, vill man vara fin, får man lida pin
- man måste satsa för att vinnadiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- vill man vara fin, får man lida pindiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- stekta sparvar flyger ej i munnendiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- friskt vågat, hälften vunnetdiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
Turkish emeksiz yemek olmaz, korkak bezirgân ne kâr eder ne ziyan
- emeksiz yemek olmazdiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- korkak bezirgân ne kâr eder ne ziyandiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- emek olmadan yemek olmazdiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
Ukrainian під лежачий камінь вода не тече
- під лежачий камінь вода не тече (pid ležačyj kaminʹ voda ne teče)discomfort is necessary to achieve goals
Vietnamese không vào hang cọp sao bắt được cọp con, tay làm hàm nhai
- không vào hang cọp sao bắt được cọp condiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
- tay làm hàm nhaidiscomfort is necessary to achieve goals
Cite this entry
APA
no pain, no gain. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/no%20pain%2C%20no%20gain
MLA
“no pain, no gain.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/no%20pain%2C%20no%20gain. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “no pain, no gain,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/no%20pain%2C%20no%20gain.
Source: no pain, no gain on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.