gainstand means opposition; resistance. It carries an Arena rating of 1589, earned across 5 head-to-head judged battles.
Why “gainstand” is a great word
To actively oppose or stand in the way, offering resistance. From Middle English gainstanden, corresponding to the prefix gain- (meaning "against," from Old English gēan-, akin to Old Norse gegn) + stand (from Old English standan). The verb is attested from around 1425 and the noun from around 1470. Unlike "withstand," which implies a stoic endurance of an onslaught, or the general and common "resist," "gainstand" evokes a specific, almost archaic image of planting one’s feet in the path of an advancing force. It is the bracing of a shoulder against a door being forced, the stubborn set of a jaw before a decree, the lone tree refusing the prevailing wind on a cliff—the fundamental human geometry of saying "no."
Etymology
From Middle English gainstanden, corresponding to gain- + stand. Compare againstand.
noun
- Opposition; resistance.
verb
- To stand against; resist, oppose; withstand.“He perceived three French Gentlemen, who alone, with an incredible and undaunted boldnesse, gainstood the enraged violence, and made head against the furie of his victorious armie.”
- To make or offer resistance.