gainless C2+ Topic:Business & Commerce US /ˈɡeɪnləs/ UK /ˈɡeɪnləs/ See IPA manual 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... unprofitablefruitlessprofitlessunrewardingfutile ↔ Opposites gainfulprofitablelucrative Word family Related forms gaingainful Etymology AI details 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 External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # 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 markdown