# Bain

/ˈbeɪn/ (US) · CEFR C2 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bain
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Definition

ready or willing to do something. It is an old-fashioned word used in some parts of the UK to mean someone is helpful or prepared.

For teachers: ready, willing, or disposed to act. Primarily a dialectal or archaic term, often used to describe a person's helpful or compliant nature.

## Examples

- The neighbors were always bain and ready to help.
- He was a bain worker who never complained about the long hours or the difficult conditions on the farm.
- In the local dialect of the northern counties, one might find an elder describing a particularly cooperative youth as bain, reflecting a traditional value of communal readiness.

## Usage notes

- Used predicatively or attributively; common in Northern English and Scots dialects.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.