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Which mythological figure symbolizes vanity?

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vanity

American  

[van-i-tee] / ˈvæn ɪ ti /

noun

• vanities
  plural

1. excessive pride in one's appearance, qualities, abilities, achievements, etc.; character or quality of being vain; conceit.

   Failure to be elected was a great blow to his vanity.

   Synonyms:

   ostentation, vainglory, complacency, egotism

   Antonyms:

   humility

2. an instance or display of this quality or feeling.

3. something about which one is vain or excessively proud.

   His good looks are his greatest vanity.

4. lack of real value; hollowness; worthlessness.

   the vanity of a selfish life.

   Synonyms:

   futility, triviality, folly, unreality, sham, emptiness

5. something worthless, trivial, or pointless.

6. vanity case.

7. dressing table.

8. a wide, counterlike shelf containing a wash basin, as in the bathroom of a hotel or residence, often equipped with shelves, drawers, etc., underneath.

9. a cabinet built below or around a bathroom sink, primarily to hide exposed pipes.

10. compact.

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adjective

1. produced as a showcase for one's own talents, especially as a writer, actor, singer, or composer.

   surprisingly entertaining for a vanity production.

2. of, relating to, or issued by a vanity press.

   a spate of vanity books.

vanity British  

/ ˈvænɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state or quality of being vain; excessive pride or conceit

2. ostentation occasioned by ambition or pride

3. an instance of being vain or something about which one is vain

4. the state or quality of being valueless, futile, or unreal

5. something that is worthless or useless

6. short for vanity unit

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Usage

What does vanity mean? Vanity is the excessive pride in oneself, usually related to appearance or accomplishments, as in Simon’s vanity wouldn’t let him purchase a more practical car. Vanity can also refer to something a person is overly proud of, as in Lars’ only real vanity was his singing ability. Vanity can also refer to an area with a mirror where you would groom yourself, like a dressing table or a counter and sink. A vanity can also be a place for storing grooming products, such as a shelf, cupboard, or case. Example: That museum of vanity that he calls a house is just full of his own artwork and paintings.

Synonym Usage

See pride.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• vanitied
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• vanities
  plural

Etymology

Origin of vanity

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English vanite from Old French vanité from Latin vānitās, equivalent to vān- ( see vain) + -itās -ity

Explanation

Vanity is the quality of being vain, or having a ridiculous amount of pride. If you have excessive vanity in your appearance, you probably spend long hours sitting at your vanity table doing your makeup or plucking your nose hairs. If you pride yourself on looking absolutely perfect and refuse to do any work that might dirty your clothes or mess up your hair, someone might accuse you of vanity. Often vanity is empty, like the emperor’s in The Emperor's New Clothes. If someone pays to have her own book published even though it’s really bad, we say it is a vanity printing.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

vanity vanities

Always perform low-impact exercises near something you can hold for support, such as a park bench or bathroom vanity.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026

Stephen Barton, the BAFTA-nominated British composer credited with “score preparation” on the album, noted that if classical fans think of the music as an actor’s vanity project, they should think again.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

Early is interested in the sickly vanity of eating disorders and conceptual femininity, and he explores the danger of these illnesses through a lens that is both uneasy and unique to his film.

From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026

This dishonesty spoils the story and replicates the Bundists’ ideological vanity, minus their heroism.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

He said he was abject, and told me his stomach was taken sick with the very thought of his vanity, and praised and thanked me profusely for my candor.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

Critics come in for harsher abuse, but Mr. Ireland spreads around his comical scorn about the vanities and hypocrisies of theater folk liberally.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026

The master bathroom is the epitome of elegance as it boasts marble countertop vanities, a large soaking tub, and a glass-enclosed shower.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 12, 2026

The primary bathroom features elegant his-and-her vanities and a large glass shower.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 4, 2026

He “has mystical tendencies, no common sense, and a Wagnerian taste for heroics and death. He was born loaded with vanities and has developed megalomania as his final decoration.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 19, 2026

Adams’s ever-vibrating vanities were now, true enough, under some measure of control.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Related Words

• arrogance
• pride