vain
[ veyn ]
/ veɪn /
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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.
SYNONYMS FOR vain
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Idioms for vain
- without effect or avail; to no purpose: lives lost in vain; to apologize in vain.
- in an improper or irreverent manner: to take God's name in vain.
in vain,
Origin of vain
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin vānus “empty, vain”
synonym study for vain
4. See useless.
OTHER WORDS FROM vain
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use vain in a sentence
Gutierrez went on to ask if her death would lead to "civil unrest" or if she would "die in vain."
Twitch removes PogChamp emote it says was “the face of… further violence”|Kyle Orland|January 7, 2021|Ars TechnicaIf we don’t learn something from this and change the way things work to make the world better, then their deaths were completely in vain.
His was a curious temperament, and this sentimentality, born of vainness and idle hours, by no means expressed it all.
Lysbeth|H. Rider Haggard
British Dictionary definitions for vain
vain
/ (veɪn) /
adjective
inordinately proud of one's appearance, possessions, or achievements
given to ostentatious display, esp of one's beauty
worthless
senseless or futile
noun
in vain to no avail; fruitlessly
take someone's name in vain
- to use the name of someone, esp God, without due respect or reverence
- jocular to mention someone's name
Derived forms of vain
vainly, adverbvainness, nounWord Origin for vain
C13: via Old French from Latin vānus
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Idioms and Phrases with vain
vain
see in vain; take someone's name in vain.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.