in vain
IdiomsExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She added that it was "very hard to sleep or eat. But we’re hanging in there," driven by hope that "the sacrifice of Iranians" will not be in vain.
From Barron's
I tried in vain to hear whether Mrs. Maroney was disclosing her secrets about her own wayward husband.
From Literature
China summons Japan's ambassador and demands -- in vain -- that Takaichi retract her remarks.
From Barron's
Boaz rose to his feet, trying in vain to wipe the dirt from his trouser legs and the sleeves of his sweatshirt.
From Literature
She steadily reasserted control in the closing rounds, increasing the pressure and unloading sustained combinations in the 10th as she searched in vain for a late stoppage.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
