gainful

[geyn-fuhl] / ˈgeɪn fəl /

ADJECTIVE

very productive, profitable

Synonyms

WEAK

advantageous beneficial fat fruitful generous going going concern good in the black lucrative lush moneymaking paid off paying remunerative rewarding rich satisfying substantial sweet useful well-paying worthwhile

Antonyms

WEAK

disadvantageous unproductive unprofitable useless

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Pivoting was her “best chance at obtaining gainful employment,” she added.

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026

We’ve known for years about the slow flight of working-age men from gainful employment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

"I ended up in another toxic, damaging relationship, lost hope of gainful employment and life got exponentially worse," she says.

From BBC • Nov. 18, 2023

Not until we settled into a mortgage and gainful employment did the fairytale start to fade.

From Salon • Feb. 12, 2023

I miss work, but I also miss what work meant to me in my last year of gainful employment, when I met Tom.

From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins

Vocabulary lists containing gainful

The Bluest Eye

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