gain weight

Meaning

To become heavier or put on more body mass, whether in the form of fat or muscle. It is a neutral term used in medical, athletic, and everyday contexts.

Examples

• Some people find it very difficult to gain weight, no matter how much they eat.

  Some people find it very difficult to gain weight, no matter how much they eat.

• I always gain weight during the winter because I exercise less.

  I always gain weight during the winter because I exercise less.

• He wants to gain weight and build muscle by lifting weights at the gym.

  He wants to gain weight and build muscle by lifting weights at the gym.

• Certain medications can cause you to gain weight as a side effect.

  Certain medications can cause you to gain weight as a side effect.

• You might gain weight if you stop being active but keep eating the same amount.

  You might gain weight if you stop being active but keep eating the same amount.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I gained many weight during the vacation.

  ✓ I gained a lot of weight during the vacation.

  'Weight' is uncountable, so you should use 'a lot of' or 'much' instead of 'many'.

• ✗ He wants to win weight.

  ✓ He wants to gain weight.

  This is a common literal translation error from languages where the word for 'earn/win' is used for weight. In English, we use 'gain' or 'put on'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• If you eat too many sweets, you might ___.

  💡 This means to become heavier.

  Show answer

  gain weight

• The doctor told him he needs to ___ because he is underweight.

  💡 This means to increase his overall body mass.

  Show answer

  gain weight