vain

[veyn] /veɪn/
adjective, vainer, vainest.
1.
excessively proud of or concerned about one's own appearance, qualities, achievements, etc.; conceited:
a vain dandy.
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.
4.
without real significance, value, or importance; baseless or worthless:
vain pageantry; vain display.
5.
Archaic. senseless or foolish.
Idioms
6.
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.
Origin
1250-1300; Middle English < Old French < Latin vānus empty, vain
Related forms
vainly, adverb
vainness, noun
unvain, adjective
unvainly, adverb
unvainness, noun
Can be confused
vain, vane, vein.
Synonyms
1. egotistical, self-complacent, vainglorious, proud, arrogant, overweening. 3. fruitless, unavailing. 4. unimportant, trivial, trifling, nugatory. See useless.
Antonyms
1. humble. 3. useful.
Examples from the web for in vain
  • Attempts to contact the powers in charge of the contest have been in vain.
  • Pray for unity and world peace, so that these precious losses will not have been in vain.
  • After decades spent searching in vain, many seismologists now doubt whether such a signal even exists.
  • It s my understanding that one will seek in vain for a beneficial mutation.
  • Regardless of your scientific knowledge you must bring things back to a designer or your faith is in vain.
  • He applied in vain to several engineering firms in the area.
  • Against stupidity, the gods themselves labor in vain.
  • Show giraffe trying in vain to reach a piece of fruit high on a tree branch.
  • After shopping the jewel around in vain, she gave up.
  • The dead's survivors insisted that their soldiers had not died in vain.
British Dictionary definitions for in vain

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
5.
in vain, to no avail; fruitlessly
6.
take someone's name in vain
  1. to use the name of someone, esp God, without due respect or reverence
  2. (jocular) to mention someone's name
Derived Forms
vainly, adverb
vainness, noun
Word Origin
C13: via Old French from Latin vānus
Word Origin and History for in vain

vain

adj.

c.1300, "devoid of real value, idle, unprofitable," from Old French vein "worthless," from Latin vanus "idle, empty," from PIE *wa-no-, from root *eue- "to leave, abandon, give out" (cf. Old English wanian "to lessen," wan "deficient;" Old Norse vanta "to lack;" Latin vacare "to be empty," vastus "empty, waste;" Avestan va- "lack," Persian vang "empty, poor;" Sanskrit una- "deficient"). Meaning "conceited" first recorded 1690s, from earlier sense of "silly, idle, foolish" (late 14c.). Phrase in vain "to no effect" (c.1300, after Latin in vanum) preserves the original sense. Related: Vainly.

Idioms and Phrases with in vain

in vain

To no avail, useless, as in All our work was in vain. [ c. 1300 ]
Also see: take someone's name in vain

vain

see: