vain

[ veyn ]

/ veɪn /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR vain ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

Idioms for vain

in 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.

Origin of vain

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin vānus “empty, vain”

SYNONYMS FOR vain

1 egotistic, self-complacent, vainglorious, proud, arrogant, overweening.

3 fruitless, unavailing.

4 unimportant, trivial, trifling, nugatory.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR vain ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR vain

1 humble.

3 useful.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR vain ON THESAURUS.COM

synonym study for vain

4. See useless.

OTHER WORDS FROM vain

vainly, adverbvainness, nounun·vain, adjectiveun·vain·ly, adverb

un·vain·ness, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH vain

vain , vane, vein

Words nearby vain

vagus pulse, Váh, vahana, vahine, vail, vain, Väinämöinen, vainglorious, vainglory, vair, Vaisheshika

Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for vain

Asserting our right to free speech is the only to ensure that 12 people did not die in vain.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Our Duty Is to Keep Charlie Hebdo Alive|Ayaan Hirsi Ali|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In vain, fishermen waited for the sea to come back: there were no fish, there was no money for their families.
The Aral Sea's Disappearing Act|Anna Nemtsova|October 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In many engagements volunteers asked regular army commanders for support, transport and ammunition, but often in vain.
Bitter Survivors and Caravans of Coffins from Ukraine’s “Eastern Boiler”|Anna Nemtsova|September 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Faulkner, Whitman, and Dickinson did not labor in vain; their books live on, horizontally, stacked like bricks in a display case.
A Teacher Returns to the Classroom and Gets Schooled|Nick Romeo|September 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Fonda tried in vain to convince Jarrow and Archer to ditch the project.
Anne Archer: Women in Hollywood Are Doomed Forever|Nico Hines|August 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At his purposes with regard to the relations of England and Normandy it would be vain to guess.
William the Conqueror|Edward Augustus Freeman
In vain my mother took a world of trouble to explain the thing to me.
The Essays of "George Eliot"|George Eliot
I learned later that he had implored the Superior on his knees not to lay this dreadful command upon him, but all in vain.
The Monk and The Hangman's Daughter|Adolphe Danziger De Castro and Ambrose Bierce
But I have wrestled with misfortune in vain; I have struggled with want, till want has overcome me.
Bentley's Miscellany, Volume II|Various
A request for whiskey addressed to a car containing a dozen men accustomed to wrest metals from the earth was not in vain.
The Penalty|Gouverneur Morris

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, noun

Word 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.

单词	vain
释义	vain [ veyn ] / veɪn / SEE SYNONYMS FOR vain ON THESAURUS.COM 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. Idioms for vain in 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. Origin of vain First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Old French, from Latin vānus “empty, vain” SYNONYMS FOR vain 1 egotistic, self-complacent, vainglorious, proud, arrogant, overweening. 3 fruitless, unavailing. 4 unimportant, trivial, trifling, nugatory. SEE SYNONYMS FOR vain ON THESAURUS.COM ANTONYMS FOR vain 1 humble. 3 useful. SEE ANTONYMS FOR vain ON THESAURUS.COM synonym study for vain 4. See useless. OTHER WORDS FROM vain vainly, adverbvainness, nounun·vain, adjectiveun·vain·ly, adverb un·vain·ness, noun WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH vain vain , vane, vein Words nearby vain vagus pulse, Váh, vahana, vahine, vail, vain, Väinämöinen, vainglorious, vainglory, vair, Vaisheshika Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020 Example sentences from the Web for vain Asserting our right to free speech is the only to ensure that 12 people did not die in vain. Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Our Duty Is to Keep Charlie Hebdo Alive\|Ayaan Hirsi Ali\|January 8, 2015\|DAILY BEAST In vain, fishermen waited for the sea to come back: there were no fish, there was no money for their families. The Aral Sea's Disappearing Act\|Anna Nemtsova\|October 4, 2014\|DAILY BEAST In many engagements volunteers asked regular army commanders for support, transport and ammunition, but often in vain. Bitter Survivors and Caravans of Coffins from Ukraine’s “Eastern Boiler”\|Anna Nemtsova\|September 14, 2014\|DAILY BEAST Faulkner, Whitman, and Dickinson did not labor in vain; their books live on, horizontally, stacked like bricks in a display case. A Teacher Returns to the Classroom and Gets Schooled\|Nick Romeo\|September 1, 2014\|DAILY BEAST Fonda tried in vain to convince Jarrow and Archer to ditch the project. Anne Archer: Women in Hollywood Are Doomed Forever\|Nico Hines\|August 19, 2014\|DAILY BEAST At his purposes with regard to the relations of England and Normandy it would be vain to guess. William the Conqueror\|Edward Augustus Freeman In vain my mother took a world of trouble to explain the thing to me. The Essays of "George Eliot"\|George Eliot I learned later that he had implored the Superior on his knees not to lay this dreadful command upon him, but all in vain. The Monk and The Hangman's Daughter\|Adolphe Danziger De Castro and Ambrose Bierce But I have wrestled with misfortune in vain; I have struggled with want, till want has overcome me. Bentley's Miscellany, Volume II\|Various A request for whiskey addressed to a car containing a dozen men accustomed to wrest metals from the earth was not in vain. The Penalty\|Gouverneur Morris 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, noun Word 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. Words related to vain cocky, arrogant, fruitless, petty, trivial, frivolous, boastful, conceited, egocentric, haughty, inflated, narcissistic, ostentatious, overweening, proud, self-important, stuck-up, vainglorious, egoistic, high-and-mighty
随便看	reformatory reform bill reformed reformed church in america reformed spelling reformer reform flask reforming reformism reformist reform jew reform judaism reform school reformulate ref. pres. refract refractile refracting telescope refraction refractionist refractive refractive index refractive keratotomy refractivity refractometer

vain

adjective, vain·er, vain·est.

Idioms for vain

Origin of vain

SYNONYMS FOR vain

ANTONYMS FOR vain

synonym study for vain

OTHER WORDS FROM vain

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH vain

Words nearby vain

Example sentences from the Web for vain

British Dictionary definitions for vain

adjective

noun

Derived forms of vain

Word Origin for vain

Idioms and Phrases with vain

Words related to vain