Vain Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

Full Definition of vain · 1 : having or showing undue or excessive pride in one's appearance or achievements : conceited · 2 : marked by futility or ... Login SignUp Hello, Games&Quizzes Thesaurus WordoftheDay Features BuyingGuide M-WBooks MyWordsMyWords ViewRecents Account LogOut vain adjective SaveWord \ˈvān \ EssentialMeaningofvain 1 :tooproudofyourownappearance,abilities,achievements,etc.:conceited Sheisveryvainaboutherappearance.HeisthevainestmanIknow. 2 :havingnosuccess:notproducingadesiredresult Theymadeavain[=unsuccessful]attempttoescape.Avainefforttoquellthepublic'sfearsonlymademattersworse.Volunteerssearchedtheareainthevainhopeoffindingclues. FullDefinitionofvain 1 :havingorshowingundueorexcessiveprideinone'sappearanceorachievements:conceited 2 :markedbyfutilityorineffectualness:unsuccessful,useless vaineffortstoescape 3 :havingnorealvalue:idle,worthless vainpretensions 4 archaic :foolish,silly invain 1 :tonoend:withoutsuccessorresult hereffortswereinvain 2 :inanirreverentorblasphemousmanner Beingareligionwriter,IhavealwaystriedtoavoidusingtheLord'snameinvain.Ihavenotalwayssucceeded.—DonLattin —seealsotakeinvain OtherWordsfromvain Synonyms&Antonyms ChoosetheRightSynonym MoreExampleSentences LearnMoreAboutvain OtherWordsfromvain vainly adverb vainness \ ˈvān-​nəs \ noun Synonyms&Antonymsforvain Synonyms assured, biggety (orbiggity) [Southern&Midland], bigheaded, complacent, conceited, consequential, egoistic (alsoegoistical), egotistic (oregotistical), important, overweening, pompous, prideful, proud, self-conceited, self-important, self-opinionated, self-satisfied, smug, stuck-up, swellheaded, vainglorious Antonyms egoless, humble, modest, uncomplacent VisittheThesaurusforMore  ChoosetheRightSynonymforvain futile,vain,fruitlessmeanproducingnoresult.futilemayconnotecompletenessoffailureorunwisdomofundertaking. resistancehadprovedsofutilethatsurrenderwastheonlychoiceleft vainusuallyimpliessimplefailuretoachieveadesiredresult. avainattempttogetthecarstarted fruitlesscomesclosetovainbutoftensuggestslongandarduouseffortorseveredisappointment. fruitlesseffortstoobtainalastingpeace ExamplesofvaininaSentence Forahalfacentury,scholarshavesearchedinvainforthesourceofthejadethattheearlycivilizationsoftheAmericasprizedaboveallelseandfashionedintopreciousobjectsofworship,tradeandadornment. —WilliamJ.Broad,NewYorkTimes,22May2002 …themiseriesofpeople'slivesoughtnottobeexploitedadlibituminthefurtheranceofourprofitsorourcareers,andinthevainconvictionthatweunderstandeverything. —RichardTaruskin,NewRepublic,24Dec.2001 Itisinvaintosayhumanbeingsoughttobesatisfiedwithtranquillity:theymusthaveaction;andtheywillmakeitiftheycannotfindit. —CharlotteBrontë,JaneEyre,1847 Vanityandpridearedifferentthings,thoughthewordsareoftenusedsynonymously.Apersonmaybeproudwithoutbeingvain.Priderelatesmoretoouropinionofourselves,vanitytowhatwewouldhaveothersthinkofus. —JaneAusten,PrideandPrejudice,1813 Wherewordsarescarce,theyareseldomspentinvain… —WilliamShakespeare,KingRichardtheSecond,1596 Sheisveryvainaboutherappearance. HeisthevainestmanIknow. Avainefforttoquellthepublic'sfearsonlymademattersworse. Volunteerssearchedtheareainthevainhopeoffindingclues. SeeMore RecentExamplesontheWeb Bauer,whoownsarestaurantinruralKane,Pennsylvania,hasrepeatedlyinterruptedthejudgeduringhearingsandhasarguedinvainthatthecourtdoesn’thaveanyjurisdictionoverher. — JacquesBilleaud,orlandosentinel.com,24Nov.2021 Theinjuriesweresoseverethatanylife-savingeffortsatthescenelikelywouldhavebeeninvain,Hurstsaid. — oregonlive,13Nov.2021 PlayersfrombothteamsjoinedthemeleeasTCUcoachestriedinvaintointervene. — MarkHeim|[email protected],al,30Oct.2021 Hewaschagrinedtodiscovertwodecadeslaterthathisownchildrenwerestilllookinginvain. — WashingtonPost,22Oct.2021 FranklinspentmorethanadecadeinLondonbeforetheoutbreakofhostilitiesinAmericatrying,invain,toconvincetheBritishgovernmenttoaddressvariousandproliferatingcolonialcomplaints. — DavidHolahan,USATODAY,9Nov.2021 HospitalsacrossGeorgiahaveoverflowedsobadlythatintensivecareunitshadtoturnawaymanypatientsanddoctorssearchedacrossthestate,ofteninvain,foranyopenbedforthosewhorequiredhospitalization. — ArielHart,ajc,4Nov.2021 FlightForLifeairliftedthe61-year-oldpilottoahospital,butintheend,theireffortswereinvain,asthemandiedSunday,accordingtoanewsreleasefromthesheriff'sdepartment. — CathyKozlowicz,MilwaukeeJournalSentinel,3Nov.2021 HewastradedtotheRedsforpitcherMikeLeakeatthedeadlinein2015,backwhentheGiantswerechasing,invain,odd-yearplayoffappearances. — JohnShea,SanFranciscoChronicle,31Oct.2021 Theseexamplesentencesareselectedautomaticallyfromvariousonlinenewssourcestoreflectcurrentusageoftheword'vain.'ViewsexpressedintheexamplesdonotrepresenttheopinionofMerriam-Websteroritseditors.Sendusfeedback. SeeMore FirstKnownUseofvain 14thcentury,inthemeaningdefinedatsense3 HistoryandEtymologyforvain MiddleEnglishveyn"empty,futile,groundless,foolish,excessivelyproud,"borrowedfromAnglo-Frenchvain,vein,goingbacktoLatinvānus"lackingcontent,empty,illusory,markedbyfoolishoremptypride"—moreatwaneentry1 LearnMoreAboutvain Sharevain PosttheDefinitionofvaintoFacebook SharetheDefinitionofvainonTwitter TimeTravelerforvain Thefirstknownuseofvainwas inthe14thcentury Seemorewordsfromthesamecentury FromtheEditorsatMerriam-Webster Keeping'Vane,''Vain,'and'Vein'... Keeping'Vane,''Vain,'and'Vein'ProperlyCirculating Andsomeidiomsinthesamevein DictionaryEntriesNearvain vail vain vainglorious SeeMoreNearbyEntries  Statisticsforvain LastUpdated 4Dec2021 Look-upPopularity CitethisEntry “Vain.”Merriam-Webster.comDictionary,Merriam-Webster,https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vain.Accessed7Dec.2021. Style:MLA MLA Chicago APA Merriam-Webster MoreDefinitionsforvain vain adjective \ˈvān \ vainer;vainest KidsDefinitionofvain 1 :havingnosuccess Hemadeavainefforttoescape. 2 :havingorshowingtheattitudeofapersonwhothinkstoohighlyofhisorherlooksorabilities invain 1 :withoutsuccess Isearchedinvainformykey. 2 :inanunholyway OtherWordsfromvain vainly adverb Ilookedattheothers,searchingvainlyforasympatheticface.—GailCarsonLevine,EllaEnchanted MorefromMerriam-Websteronvain Nglish:TranslationofvainforSpanishSpeakers BritannicaEnglish:TranslationofvainforArabicSpeakers WORDOFTHEDAY ostracize SeeDefinitionsandExamples» GetWordoftheDaydailyemail! TestYourVocabulary DifficultSpellingWordsQuiz Whichisthecorrectspelling? accomodate accommodate acommodate acommadate Testyourknowledge-andmaybelearnsomethingalongtheway. TAKETHEQUIZ SubscribetoAmerica'slargestdictionaryandgetthousandsmoredefinitionsandadvancedsearch—adfree! 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