gain

1. (transitive) To acquire possession of.Examples: "Looks like you’ve gained a new friend."; "What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"; "Another answers, ‘Let him be, ⁠He loves to make parade of pain, ⁠That with his piping he may gain The praise that comes to constancy.’"transitive

2. (intransitive) To have or receive advantage or profit; to acquire gain; to grow rich; to advance in interest, health, or happiness; to make progress.Examples: "The sick man gains daily."; "Thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion."intransitive

3. (transitive, dated) To come off winner or victor in; to be successful in; to obtain by competition.Examples: "to gain a battle; to gain a case at law"datedtransitive

4. (transitive) To increase.Examples: "Then they had bouts of wrestling and of cudgel play, so that every day they gained in skill and strength."transitive

5. (intransitive, often with on) To grow more likely to catch or overtake someone.Examples: "to gain ground"; "I’m gaining (on you)."intransitiveoftenwith-on

6. (transitive) To reach.Examples: "to gain the top of a mountain"; "Ernest laughed harshly and savagely when he had gained the street."transitive