vain
[veyn]
adjective, vain·er, vain·est.
excessively proud of or concerned about one's own appearance, qualities, achievements, etc.; conceited: a vain dandy.
proceeding from or showing pride in or concern about one's appearance, qualities, etc.; resulting from or displaying vanity: He made some vain remarks about his accomplishments.
ineffectual or unsuccessful; futile: vain hopes; a vain effort; a vain war.
without real significance, value, or importance; baseless or worthless: vain pageantry; vain display.
Archaic. senseless or foolish.
Origin of vain
1250–1300; Middle English < Old French < Latin vānus empty, vain
Synonyms for vain
1. egotistical, self-complacent, vainglorious, proud, arrogant, overweening. 3. fruitless, unavailing. 4. unimportant, trivial, trifling, nugatory. See useless.
Antonyms for vain
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Related Words for vainness
emptiness, hollowness, idleness, ineffectiveness, senselessness, uselessness, vanity, frivolousness, ineffectuality, meaninglessness, amour-propre, arrogance, assurance, boasting, conceit, ego, egocentricity, egoism, egomania, gasconadeExamples from the Web for vainness
Historical Examples of vainness
His was a curious temperament, and this sentimentality, born of vainness and idle hours, by no means expressed it all.
LysbethH. Rider Haggard
vain
adjective
noun
Word Origin for vain
C13: via Old French from Latin vānus
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vain
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
vain
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