garner

¹ American  

[gahr-ner] / ˈgɑr nər /

verb (used with object)

1. to gather or deposit in or as if in a granary or other storage place.

2. to get; acquire; earn.

   He gradually garnered a national reputation as a financial expert.

3. to gather or collect.

---

noun

1. a granary or grain bin.

2. a store or supply of anything.

Garner ² American  

[gahr-ner] / ˈgɑr nər /

noun

1. John Nance 1868–1967, vice president of the U.S. 1933–41.

---

garner ¹ British  

/ ˈɡɑːnə /

verb

1. to gather or store in or as if in a granary

---

noun

1. an archaic word for granary

2. archaic a place for storage or safekeeping

Garner ² British  

/ ˈɡɑːnə /

noun

1. Erroll. 1921–77, US jazz pianist and composer, noted for the jazz standard 'Misty' (1954)

2. Helen. born 1942. Australian novelist and journalist. Her books include the novels Monkey Grip (1977), The Idea of Perfection (2002), The Children's Bach (1984), and The Spare Room (2008), and the nonfiction The First Stone (1995)

---

Etymology

Origin of garner

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English garner, gerner, from Old French gernier, grenier, from Latin grānārium granary; -er ²

Explanation

To garner means to gather or earn. If you want to run for office without belonging to a political party, you must garner enough signatures — usually a few thousand — to get onto the ballot. The word garner comes from the Latin granarium which means "store-house," usually for grain. The current use of the word carries with it the sense of something being stored up. It’s not only that you can gather enough yes-votes to overcome the opposition, there is the sense that all the things you have garnered have some weight of their own. In its other use, garner means “earn” or "merit." Think of movie stars garnering Oscar nominations for their excellent work.

Example Sentences

Even in an era where the 200-inning starter has gone the way of the flannel uniform, Ohtani would need to log more innings to garner serious Cy Young consideration.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

But Melanie Ferguson, a content creator behind the Southern Crush at Home platform, suggests other affordable ways to garner or fashion a basket on the cheap.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026

Arm told analysts on Tuesday that it expects the chip side of the business to garner gross margins of at least 50%.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

It’s possible, though unlikely, that Warsh is able to garner some Democratic votes, which would allow the vote to proceed.

From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026

Just like it had when we left Earth, using Sagan’s gravity to garner energy.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

Related Words

• amass
• pick up
• reap