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.
It all looked to be in vain as they slumped to 82-8 in the 15th over of their chase of 162 to beat Yorkshire at Headingley in Wednesday's quarter-final.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Filipino fans formed unmoving lines, hoping in vain to squeeze into the ludicrously limited capacity of Court 6 just to catch a glimpse of her main draw debut.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
Speaking of trillion-dollar leprechauns, you will hunt through all 545 pages in vain for those big “DOGE” savings you were promised.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 17, 2026
In the long drought since their last trip to the NBA Finals, back in 1999, the Knicks tried in vain to lure the greatest players on the planet to Madison Square Garden.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026
This time, however, his efforts were in vain.
From "The Thief Lord" by Cornelia Funke
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.
