vain

[ veyn ]

adjective

, vain·er, vain·est.

1. excessively proud of or concerned about one's own appearance, qualities, achievements, etc.; conceited:

   a vain dandy.

   Synonyms: overweening, arrogant, proud, vainglorious, self-complacent, egotistic

   Antonyms: humble

2. 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.

3. ineffectual or unsuccessful; futile:

   vain hopes;

   a vain effort;

   a vain war.

   Synonyms: unavailing, fruitless

   Antonyms: useful

4. without real significance, value, or importance; baseless or worthless:

   vain pageantry;

   vain display.

   Synonyms: nugatory, trifling, trivial

5. Archaic. senseless or foolish.

vain

/ veɪn /

adjective

1. inordinately proud of one's appearance, possessions, or achievements
2. given to ostentatious display, esp of one's beauty
3. worthless
4. senseless or futile

noun

1. in vain
   to no avail; fruitlessly
2. take someone's name in vain
   1. to use the name of someone, esp God, without due respect or reverence
   2. to mention someone's name

Derived Forms

• ˈvainness, noun
• ˈvainly, adverb

Other Words From

• vain·ly adverb
• vain·ness noun
• un·vain· adjective
• un·vain·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of vain¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of vain¹

C13: via Old French from Latin vānus

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. in vain,
   1. without effect or avail; to no purpose:

      lives lost in vain;

      to apologize in vain.

   2. in an improper or irreverent manner:

      to take God's name in vain.

More idioms and phrases containing vain

see in vain ; take someone's name in vain .

Synonym Study

See useless.

Example Sentences

Looming over all of this are Sirhan’s supporters who say he did not shoot Kennedy, and who have raised that issue in vain both in the California courts and in parole hearings.

From Washington Post

It seems like everything was in vain, everything we have done.

From MIT Technology Review

We still struggled—often in vain—for meaningful inclusion in policy, science, news and entertainment relating to our lives.

From Time

Everything that happened, in my opinion, was in vain because nothing about the situation changed.

From Washington Blade

That year, his mother had tried in vain to procure a special education plan for him.

From ProPublica

Asserting our right to free speech is the only to ensure that 12 people did not die in vain.

From The Daily Beast

In vain, fishermen waited for the sea to come back: there were no fish, there was no money for their families.

From The Daily Beast

In many engagements volunteers asked regular army commanders for support, transport and ammunition, but often in vain.

From The Daily Beast

Faulkner, Whitman, and Dickinson did not labor in vain; their books live on, horizontally, stacked like bricks in a display case.

From The Daily Beast

Fonda tried in vain to convince Jarrow and Archer to ditch the project.

From The Daily Beast

Vain also was the valour and ability he showed in the campaign against the Royalists in La Vende.

From Project Gutenberg

The hopes of a man that is void of understanding are vain and deceitful: and dreams lift up fools.

From Project Gutenberg

He went on, ruminating on the vain shadow, into which his over-heated ambition to act and to be distinguished, had involved him.

From Project Gutenberg

He came back in due time, but bringing nothing for me, and I felt that my appeal had been in vain.

From Project Gutenberg

After looking for them in vain down below he had feared that they might have found their way into the open air.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• frivolous
• fruitless
• petty
• trivial