VAIN

bootless, fruitless, futile, sleeveless, vain

(adjective) unproductive of success; “a fruitless search”; “futile years after her artistic peak”; “a sleeveless errand”; “a vain attempt”

conceited, egotistic, egotistical, self-conceited, swollen, swollen-headed, vain

(adjective) 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”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Noun

VAIN (plural VAINs)

(medicine) Acronym of vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia.

Anagrams

• Ivan, Na'vi, Vani, Vina, Viña, vina

Etymology

Adjective

vain (comparative vainer or more vain, superlative vainest or most vain)

Overly proud of oneself, especially concerning appearance; having a high opinion of one's own accomplishments with slight reason.

Having no real substance, value, or importance; empty; void; worthless; unsatisfying.

Effecting no purpose; pointless, futile.

Showy; ostentatious.

Synonyms

• (overly proud of oneself): conceited; puffed up; inflated

• (pointless): pointless, futile, fruitless, ineffectual

• See also arrogant

• See also futile

Anagrams

• Ivan, Na'vi, Vani, Vina, Viña, vina

Source: Wiktionary


Vain, a. [Compar. Vainer; superl. Vainest.] Etym: [F. vain, L. vanus empty, void, vain. Cf. Vanish, Vanity, Vaunt to boast.]

1. Having no real substance, value, or importance; empty; void; worthless; unsatisfying. "Thy vain excuse." Shak. Every man walketh in a vain show. Ps. xxxix. 6. Let no man deceive you with vain words. Eph. v. 6. Vain pomp, and glory of this world, I hate ye! Shak. Vain visdom all, and false philosophy. Milton.

2. Destitute of forge or efficacy; effecting no purpose; fruitless; ineffectual; as, vain toil; a vain attempt. Bring no more vain oblations. Isa. i. 13. Vain is the force of man To crush the pillars which the pile sustain. Dryden.

3. Proud of petty things, or of trifling attainments; having a high opinion of one's own accomplishments with slight reason; conceited; puffed up; inflated. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is barren James ii. 20 (Rev. Ver.). The minstrels played on every side, Vain of their art. Dryden.

4. Showy; ostentatious. Load some vain church with old theatric state. Pope.

Syn.

– Empty; worthless; fruitless; ineffectual; idle; unreal; shadowy; showy; ostentatious; light; inconstant; deceitful; delusive; unimportant; trifling.

Vain, n.

Definition: Vanity; emptiness; -- now used only in the phrase in vain. For vain. See In vain. [Obs.] Shak.

– In vain, to no purpose; without effect; ineffectually. " In vain doth valor bleed." Milton. " In vain they do worship me." Matt. xv. 9.

– To take the name of God in vain, to use the name of God with levity or profaneness.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

23 November 2024

THEORETICAL

(adjective) concerned primarily with theories or hypotheses rather than practical considerations; “theoretical science”


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