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Gainful: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Gainful adjective. Of work or activity: paying a wage or bringing in money.
How to say it
GAYN-ful/ˈɡeɪnfʊl/
2 syllables, stressed on the first (GAYN).
Gainful in a sentence
After a year of auditions, he finally found gainful employment as a lift attendant.
Her parents wondered aloud whether a degree in medieval poetry would lead to anything gainful.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- paid
- remunerative
- profitable
- lucrative
Opposite:
- unpaid
Where gainful comes from
From gain, via Old French gaigner, plus -ful.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
Her parents wondered aloud whether a degree in medieval poetry would lead to anything _____.
- conscientious
- perfunctory
- gainful
Show the answer
gainful: Her parents wondered aloud whether a degree in medieval poetry would lead to anything gainful.