GAINFUL Synonyms: 19 Similar and Opposite Words

gainful

adjective

ˈgān-fəl

Definition of gainful

as in lucrative

yielding a profit graduated from school and went looking for gainful employment

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of gainful Where do alien nerds find gainful employ? — Literary Hub, 19 Nov. 2025 At her age, being prickly was neither enchanting nor gainful. — Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 15 June 2025 Schools that do not meet gainful employment expectations risk losing access to federal funding. — Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 2 June 2025 Or workers could simply have given up on Martinsville and moved elsewhere in search of gainful employment. — Gordon H. Hanson, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021 See All Example Sentences for gainful

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gainful

Adjective

Moscow, meanwhile, is widely seen as remaining wary of opening the door for Chinese security engagement in the Arctic, hoping instead that China will continue to buy up energy and broaden its role building out a lucrative NSR.

— Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
The engagement lands during the always lucrative Christmas-New Years holiday weeks, with producers no doubt hoping the popular Leavitt can bring in the kind of record-setting business that marked her stint as Roxie Hart in Chicago this past spring.

— Greg Evans, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of lucrative

Adjective

The summer of 2026 may go down as one of the most profitable for the city of Boston and the surrounding areas.

— Mike Sullivan, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
The rise in CoreWeave stock – abetted by short-sellers with 18% of the stock’s float, per the Wall Street Journal, covering their positions – suggests that investors concluded backlog could become profitable revenue.

— Peter Cohan, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of profitable

Adjective

Its novelty keeps Marvel Tokon from being too familiar, cementing it as a worthwhile title in its own right.

— Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 11 Aug. 2026
For professional coaches, these moments are often the ones that make all the effort, patience and reflection feel worthwhile.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of worthwhile

Browse Nearby Words

gainers

gainful

gain ground

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“Gainful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gainful. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of gainful

adjective

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