About The Word Vain

Bay Area Crosswords

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Vain

Vain Meaning & Definition
Vain Definition And Meaning

What's The Definition Of Vain?

[adj] unproductive of success; "a fruitless search"; "futile years after her artistic peak"; "a sleeveless errand"; "a vain attempt"
[adj] 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"

Synonyms | Synonyms for Vain: bootless | conceited | egotistic | egotistical | fruitless | futile | proud | self-conceited | sleeveless | swollen | swollen-headed | unproductive

Related Terms | Find terms related to Vain:

See Also |

Vain In Webster's Dictionary

\Vain\, a. [Compar. {Vainer}; superl. {Vainest}.] [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. 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.

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