vain
pronunciation
How to pronounce vain in British English:
UK [veɪn]
How to pronounce vain in American English:
US [veɪn]
-
- Adjective:
- characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
- unproductive of success
Word Origin
- vain
- vain: [13] Latin vānus meant ‘empty’ (it was related to vacuus ‘empty’, source of English vacuum). It passed into English via Old French vain in the sense ‘worthless’, and the main modern meaning ‘conceited’ did not develop until the 17th century. Also from vānus come English evanescent, vanish, vanity [13], and vaunt [14], and wane, want, etc go back to the same ultimate Indo-European base.=> evanescent, vanish, vanity, vaunt, wane, want
- vain (adj.)
- c. 1300, "devoid of real value, idle, unprofitable," from Old French vain, vein "worthless, void, invalid, feeble; conceited" (12c.), from Latin vanus "empty, void," figuratively "idle, fruitless," from PIE *wa-no-, from root *eue- "to leave, abandon, give out" (cognates: 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," Armenian unain "empty"). Meaning "conceited, elated with a high opinion of oneself" first recorded 1690s in English; earlier "silly, idle, foolish" (late 14c.). Phrase in vain "to no effect" (c. 1300, after Latin in vanum) preserves the original sense. Related: Vainly; vainness. Compare also vainglory.
Synonym
Example
- 1. No friendship is useless and no day is in vain .
- 2. Contrary to the selfish greedy " health and weath " gospel , the blessingspromised for one 's generosity are intended to be utilized in furthergenerosity , rather than being wasted on one 's own vain and covetousdesires .
- 3. Love yourself : I don 't mean this in a vain sense .
- 4. Mrs. mcdaniel said she was not a vain person , but with red lumps all over her face , she was embarrassed to go out .
- 5. The scars remind me , too , that in this vain culture our vanity sometimes needs to be punctured and deflated - and that 's not such a bad thing .