vain

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vain

excessively proud of one’s appearance, qualities, etc.; conceited: She is very vain about her long black hair.; arrogant; egotistical; without effect or avail: Her efforts were in vain.; worthless; unimportant

Not to be confused with:

vane – blade in a wheel moved by air, steam, or water: A weather vane shows the direction of the wind.; someone who is changeable or fickle

vein – blood vessel; a natural channel; a body or stratum of ore: a rich vein of coal; a condition, mood, or temper: a vein of sadness; tone; touch; thread; streak

vain

(vān)

adj. vain·er, vain·est

1. Not yielding the desired outcome; fruitless: a vain attempt.

2. Lacking substance or worth: vain talk.

3. Having or showing excessive pride in one's appearance or accomplishments; conceited.

4. Archaic Foolish.

Idiom:

in vain

1. To no avail; without success: Our labor was in vain.

2. In an irreverent or disrespectful manner: took the Lord's name in vain.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin vānus, empty; see euə- in Indo-European roots.]

vain′ly adv.

vain′ness n.

Synonyms: vain, empty, hollow, idle, otiose
These adjectives mean lacking value or substance: vain regrets; empty pleasures; hollow threats; idle dreams; otiose theoretical discussions. See Also Synonyms at futile.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

vain

(veɪn)

adj

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

5. in vain to no avail; fruitlessly

6. take someone's name in vain

a. to use the name of someone, esp God, without due respect or reverence

b. jocular to mention someone's name

7. (Bible) to use the name of someone, esp God, without due respect or reverence

8. jocular to mention someone's name

[C13: via Old French from Latin vānus]

ˈvainly adv

ˈvainness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

vain

(veɪn)

adj. -er, -est.

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

2. proceeding from or showing personal vanity.

3. futile: vain efforts.

4. without real significance.

5. Archaic. senseless or foolish.

Idioms:

in vain,

a. without effect or avail; to no purpose.

b. in an improper or irreverent manner: to take God's name in vain.

[1250–1300; < Old French < Latin vānus empty, vain]

vain′ly, adv.

vain′ness, n.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Adj.	1.	vain - characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance; "a conceited fool"; "an attitude of self-conceited arrogance"; "an egotistical disregard of others"; "so swollen by victory that he was unfit for normal duty"; "growing ever more swollen-headed and arbitrary"; "vain about her clothes" conceited, self-conceited, swollen, swollen-headed, egotistic, egotistical proud - feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride; "proud parents"; "proud of his accomplishments"; "a proud moment"; "proud to serve his country"; "a proud name"; "proud princes"
	2.	vain - unproductive of success; "a fruitless search"; "futile years after her artistic peak"; "a sleeveless errand"; "a vain attempt" bootless, fruitless, futile, sleeveless unproductive - not producing or capable of producing; "elimination of high-cost or unproductive industries"

vain

adjective

1. futile, useless, pointless, unsuccessful, empty, hollow, idle, trivial, worthless, trifling, senseless, unimportant, fruitless, unproductive, abortive, unprofitable, time-wasting, unavailing, nugatory They worked all night in a vain attempt to finish on schedule.
futile successful, profitable, worthwhile, serious, useful, valid, worthy, fruitful

2. conceited, narcissistic, proud, arrogant, inflated, swaggering, stuck-up (informal), cocky, swanky (informal), ostentatious, egotistical, self-important, overweening, vainglorious, swollen-headed (informal), pleased with yourself, bigheaded (informal), peacockish She's a shallow, vain and self-centred woman.
conceited modest, humble, meek, self-deprecating, bashful

in vain

3. useless, to no avail, unsuccessfu, fruitless, useless, unsuccessful, fruitless, wasted, vain, ineffectual, without success, to no purpose, bootless All her complaints were in vain.

4. uselessly, to no avail, unsuccessfully, fruitlessly, vainly, ineffectually, without success, to no purpose, bootlessly He hammered the door, trying in vain to attract her attention.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

vain

adjective

1. Having no useful result:

barren, bootless, fruitless, futile, unavailing, unprofitable, unsuccessful, useless.

Idiom: in vain.

2. Lacking value, use, or substance:

empty, hollow, idle, otiose, vacant.

3. Unduly preoccupied with one's own appearance:

conceited, narcissistic.

4. Thinking too highly of oneself:

conceited, egoistic, egoistical, egotistic, egotistical, narcissistic, vainglorious.

Informal: bigheaded, stuck-up, swellheaded.

Translations

باَطِلغَيْر ناجِح، باطِل، عَقيمفارِغ، باطِل، لا معْنى لهمَغْرور، مَزْهو

marnýnafoukanýprázdný

forfængeligforgævesfrugtesløs

eitel leer vergeblich affig

μάταιος

vano vanidoso presumido inútil petulante

turhamainentyhjäturha

vain vaniteux frivole futile abortif

uzaludan

hiú

árangurslaushégómlegur, sjálfumglaîurinnantómur

vano vanitoso invano

うぬぼれの強い

허영심이 강한

tuščiagarbis

iedomīgsneveiksmīgstukšsveltīgs

brezuspešendomišljavzaman

fåfäng

ไร้ประโยชน์

kendini beğenmiş kibirli yararsız anlamsız boş

vô hiệu

徒劳的徒然的无效的空虚的自负的

vain

[veɪn] ADJ

1. (= useless) → vano, inútil
in vain [try, struggle] → en vano, inútilmente; [search] → sin éxito, en vano
all our efforts were in vain → todos nuestros esfuerzos fueron en vano or resultaron inútiles
I stayed, in the vain hope that → me quedé con la vana esperanza de que ...
to take sb's name in vain → hablar con poco respeto de algn
to take the Lord's name in vain → tomar el nombre de Dios en vano

2. (vainer (compar) (vainest (superl))) (= conceited) → vanidoso, presumido
she is very vain about her hair → siempre está arreglándose el pelo

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

vain

[ˈveɪn] adj

(= conceited) → vaniteux/euse
He's so vain! → Il est si vaniteux!

(= useless) [attempt, hope] → vain(e) often before n
in a vain attempt to do sth → dans une vaine tentative pour faire qch
in the vain hope that → dans le vain espoir que
in vain → en vain
to die in vain → mourir en vain

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

vain

adj

(+er) (about looks) → eitel; (about qualities) → eingebildet; he’s very vain about his musical abilities → er bildet sich (dat) → auf sein musikalisches Können viel ein; he is vain about his appearance → er ist eitel

(= useless, empty) → eitel (liter); attempt also → vergeblich; pleasures, promises, words also, threat → leer; hope also → töricht; he had vain hopes of getting the job → er machte sich vergeblich Hoffnung auf den Posten; in the vain hope that … → in der vergeblichen Hoffnung, dass …; in vain → umsonst, vergeblich, vergebens; it was all in vain → das war alles umsonst or vergeblich or vergebens; in a vain attempt to do something → in einem vergeblichen Versuch, etw zu tun

to take God’s name in vain → den Namen Gottes missbrauchen, Gott lästern; was someone taking my name in vain? (hum) → hat da wieder jemand von mir geredet?

(liter, = worthless) display, ceremony → eitel (liter)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

vain

[veɪn] adj (-er (comp) (-est (superl)))

a. (attempt, hope) → vano/a, inutile
in vain → invano, inutilmente
all our efforts were in vain → tutti i nostri sforzi sono stati inutili

b. (person) → vanitoso/a

vain

(vein) adjective

1. having too much pride in one's appearance, achievements etc; conceited. She's very vain about her good looks.

2. unsuccessful. He made a vain attempt to reach the drowning woman.

3. empty; meaningless. vain threats; vain promises.

ˈvainly adverb

unsuccessfully. He searched vainly for the treasure.

vanity (ˈvӕnəti) noun

1. excessive admiration of oneself; conceit. Vanity is her chief fault.

2. worthlessness or pointlessness. the vanity of human ambition.

in vain

with no success. He tried in vain to open the locked door.

vain

→ باَطِل marný frugtesløs eitel μάταιος vanidoso, vano turhamainen vaniteux uzaludan vano うぬぼれの強い 허영심이 강한 vergeefs forfengelig próżny vaidoso тщетный fåfäng ไร้ประโยชน์ kendini beğenmiş vô hiệu 徒然的

vain

a. vano-a, vanidoso-a;

adv. vanamente, en vano.

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

It appears that, after having tasted astrology, philosophy, architecture, hermetics,--all vanities, he returned to tragedy, vainest pursuit of all.

View in context

Passion for power: the wicked gadfly which is mounted on the vainest peoples; the scorner of all uncertain virtue; which rideth on every horse and on every pride.

View in context

The lad departed, prouder of his flowing blood than the vainest courtier could be of his blushing ribbon; and stalked among the fellows of his age, an object of general admiration and envy.

View in context

Really, Ridley, I think you're the vainest man I know," she ended, rising from the table, "which I may tell you is saying a good deal."

View in context

I heard you once say (when you were not aware that I was within hearing) that the vainest women were always the ugly women.

View in context

Miss Pross was a pleasant sight, albeit wild, and red, and grim, taking off her darling's bonnet when she came up-stairs, and touching it up with the ends of her handkerchief, and blowing the dust off it, and folding her mantle ready for laying by, and smoothing her rich hair with as much pride as she could possibly have taken in her own hair if she had been the vainest and handsomest of women.

View in context

The proud Christian should then see whether the daughter of God's chosen people dared not to die as bravely as the vainest Nazarene maiden, that boasts her descent from some petty chieftain of the rude and frozen north!''

View in context

Man is the vainest of all creatures that have their being upon earth.

View in context

The vainest woman is never thoroughly conscious of her own beauty till she is loved by the man who sets her own passion vibrating in return.

View in context

"I was, sire, even if it were nothing more than an indigestion," said Colbert; "for people do not give their sovereigns such banquets as the one of to-day, unless it be to stifle them beneath the burden of good living." Colbert awaited the effect this coarse jest would produce upon the king; and Louis XIV., who was the vainest and the most fastidiously delicate man in his kingdom, forgave Colbert the joke.

View in context

Then Mrs John Browdie was introduced, and finally they all went upstairs together and spent the next half-hour with great satisfaction and mutual entertainment; Mrs John Browdie beginning the conversation by declaring that of all the made-up things she ever saw, that young woman below-stairs was the vainest and the plainest.

View in context

But the self-styled Vainest Man in Britain, who has lost count of the procedures he has undergone, does not have claret and blue blood in his veins.

News I'd rather grandad had won X Factor than European Cup; 'britain's vainest man' unimpressed with footy triumph as he appeals for cash to pay for own liposuction Grandad Tony Barton and skipper Dennis Mortimer lift the European Cup, Sam Barton and below, his nan with the trophy

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