What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Garner vs Gain - What's the difference?

garner | gain |

As nouns the difference between garner and gain

is that garner is a granary; a store of grain while gain is the act of gaining.

As verbs the difference between garner and gain

is that garner is to reap grain, gather it up, and store it in a granary while gain is to acquire possession of what one did not have before.

As a proper noun Garner

is {{surname|lang=en}.

As a preposition gain is

against.

As an adjective gain is

straight, direct; near; short.

As an adverb gain is

straightly; quickly; by the nearest way or means.

garner

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A granary; a store of grain.
  • * :
  • That'' our garners ''may be'' full, affording all manner of store: ''that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets.
  • * :
  • Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner ; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
  • An accumulation, supply, store, or hoard of something.
  • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To reap grain, gather it up, and store it in a granary.
  • To gather, amass, hoard, as if harvesting grain.
  • * 1835 ,
  • I walked enormous distances...garnering thoughts even from the heather.
  • * 1913 , in Catholic Encyclopedia, 1913
  • He garnered the fruit of his studies in seven volumes.
  • * 1956 ,
  • ...its fleet went out to garner in the elusive but highly succulent fish.
  • (often figurative) To earn; to get; to accumulate or acquire by some effort or due to some fact; to reap.
  • He garnered a reputation as a language expert.
    Her new book garnered high praise from the critics.
    His poor choices garnered him a steady stream of welfare checks.
  • * 1983 ,
  • This country will never forget nor fail to honor those who have so courageously garnered our highest regard.
  • * 1999 ,
  • President Roosevelt garnered the support of our working men and women...
  • (rare) to gather or become gathered; to accumulate or become accumulated; to become stored.
  • * 1849 ,
  • For this alone on Death I wreak / The wrath that garners in my heart;

    Usage notes

    The "earn, acquire, accumulate" sense should be read as a figurative extension of the original "harvest, gather" sense, sometimes with some inanimate achievement or choice metaphorically doing the "gathering", as "The new book garnered high praise''", or with an indirect object, as, "''The new book garnered the author high praise''". In this sense, the achievement, choice, or fact is actively gathering something, positive or negative, for its creator, even if that choice is inaction, as in "''Failure to try can garner you the disapproval of the industrious ".

    Anagrams

    * ----

    gain

    English

    Etymology 1

    From dialectal English (m), (m), short for (m), . More at (l).

    Preposition

    (English prepositions)
  • (obsolete) Against.
  • Derived terms
    * (l)

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) (m), (m), , from the adjective.

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (obsolete) Straight, direct; near; short.
  • the gainest way
  • (obsolete) Suitable; convenient; ready.
  • (dialectal) Easy; tolerable; handy, dexterous.
  • (dialectal) Honest; respectable; moderate; cheap.
  • Derived terms
    * (l) * (l)

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • (obsolete) Straightly; quickly; by the nearest way or means.
  • (dialectal) Suitably; conveniently; dexterously; moderately.
  • (dialectal) Tolerably; fairly.
  • gain quiet (= fairly/pretty quiet)

    Etymology 3

    From (etyl) (m), . The Middle English word was reinforced by (etyl) . Related to (l), (l).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The act of gaining.
  • * Tennyson
  • the lust of gain
  • What one gains, as a return on investment or dividend.
  • No pain, no gain .
  • * Shakespeare
  • Everyone shall share in the gains .
  • (electronics) The factor by which a signal is multiplied.
  • Antonyms
    * loss
    Derived terms
    * autogain * gainful * gainsome

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To acquire possession of what one did not have before.
  • Looks like you've gained a new friend.
  • * Bible, Matthew xvi. 26
  • What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
  • * Alexander Pope
  • For fame with toil we gain , but lose with ease.
  • To have or receive advantage or profit; to acquire gain; to grow rich; to advance in interest, health, or happiness; to make progress.
  • The sick man gains daily.
  • * Bible, Ezekiel xxii. 12
  • Thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion.
  • (dated) To come off winner or victor in; to be successful in; to obtain by competition.
  • to gain''' a battle; to '''gain a case at law
  • To increase.
  • * 1883 , (Howard Pyle), (The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood)
  • Then they had bouts of wrestling and of cudgel play, so that every day they gained in skill and strength.
  • To be more likely to catch or overtake an individual.
  • I'm gaining (on you).
    gain ground
  • To reach.
  • to gain the top of a mountain
  • * 1907 , Jack London, The Iron Heel :
  • Ernest laughed harshly and savagely when he had gained the street.
  • To draw into any interest or party; to win to one's side; to conciliate.
  • * Bible, Matthew xviii. 15
  • If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
  • * Dryden
  • to gratify the queen, and gain the court
  • To put on weight.
  • I've been gaining .
  • (of a clock or watch) To run fast.
  • Etymology 4

    Compare (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (architecture) A square or bevelled notch cut out of a girder, binding joist, or other timber which supports a floor beam, so as to receive the end of the floor beam.
  • Anagrams

    * (l) * (l) * (l), (l) ----