gainless

C2+ Topic:Business & Commerce

US /ˈɡeɪnləs/ UK /ˈɡeɪnləs/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
bringing no profit or advantage; unprofitable

It was a gainless venture that drained their savings.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · bringing no profit or... unprofitable fruitless profitlessunrewardingfutile

Opposites

gainful profitable lucrative

Word family

Related forms gain gainful

Etymology

From 'gain' (from Old French 'gaaigne' 'profit') plus the privative suffix '-less' (Old English '-leas').

gaaigne Old French

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Business & Commerce Word Formation & Derivatives

# gainless

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ˈɡeɪnləs
**IPA (UK):** ˈɡeɪnləs

## Meanings
1. bringing no profit or advantage; unprofitable

## Examples
- It was a gainless venture that drained their savings.

## Synonyms
- unprofitable
- fruitless
- profitless
- unrewarding
- futile

## Antonyms
- gainful
- profitable
- lucrative

## Related Forms
- gain
- gainful

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: gaaigne

## Etymology
From 'gain' (from Old French 'gaaigne' 'profit') plus the privative suffix '-less' (Old English '-leas').

## AI Etymology
Gainless comes from 'gain' (from Old French 'gaaigne' 'profit') plus the privative suffix '-less' (Old English '-leas'). The suffix is part of the word's derivational shape, marking the final grammatical or semantic role while the base supplies the central meaning. As an adjective, it carries the sense "bringing no profit or advantage; unprofitable", with the older formation still helping explain the modern use. Relevant historical forms include Old French gaaigne. Related words include gain, gainful.

## Topics
- Business & Commerce
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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gainless

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