vain

See also väin

English

Etymology

From Middle English, from Old French vain, from Latin vānus (“empty”)

Pronunciation

• IPA: /veɪn/
• enPR: vān

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪn
• Homophones: vane, vein

Adjective

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

1. overly proud of oneself, especially when concerning appearance
   • (Can we date this quote?) Leo Rosten:

     Every writer is a narcissist. This does not mean that he is vain; it only means that he is hopelessly self-absorbed.

2. having very little substance
3. effecting no purpose; pointless, futile.
   • (Can we date this quote?) William of Occam:

     It is vain to do with more what can be done with fewer.

Synonyms

• (pointless): pointless, futile, fruitless, ineffectual
• See also Wikisaurus:arrogant
• See also Wikisaurus:futile

Derived terms

• in vain
• vainness
• vainly

Related terms

• vanity

Translations

overly proud of one's appearance

• Armenian: սնապարծ (hy) (snaparç)
• Catalan: va (ca)
• Dutch: ijdel (nl)
• Finnish: turhamainen (fi)
• French: vaniteux.
• German: eitel (de)
• Greek: ματαιόδοξος (el) (mataiódoksos)

• Hebrew: גאוותן (he) (ga'avtán)
• Italian: vanitoso (it), vanesio (it)
• Portuguese: vaidoso (pt) m
• Russian: тщеславный (ru) (tščeslávnyj), показной (ru) (pokaznój)
• Scottish Gaelic: mòr à(s), sgòideasach, sgòideil, uaibhreach, uailleach
• Spanish: vanidoso (es)
• Swedish: fåfäng (sv)

based on very little substance

• Armenian: դատարկ (hy) (datark)
• Finnish: turha (fi)
• French: frivole (fr)
• Norwegian: overfladisk (no)

• Portuguese: vazio (pt)
• Russian: пустой (ru) (pustój), бесплодный (ru) (besplódnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: faoin

pointless, futile

• Armenian: ունայն (hy) (unayn)
• Catalan: va (ca)
• Czech: marný (cs) m
• Dutch: nutteloos (nl), tevergeefs (nl)
• Finnish: turha (fi), tyhjä (fi)
• French: vain (fr), futile (fr)
• German: unnützlich (de)

• Hebrew: חסר תועלת (he) (khasár to'élet)
• Italian: vano (it)
• Russian: тщетный (ru) (tščétnyj), напрасный (ru) (naprásnyj), суетный (ru) (sújetnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: faoin
• Spanish: vano (es) m, vacuo (es) m

External links

• vain in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• vain in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

Anagrams

• Ivan

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Finnish

Adverb

vain

1. only, merely, exclusively, solely, just
2. ever, in the phrasal adjective mikä vain
3. whenever, in the phrasal adjective milloin vain

Usage notes

In many dialects, this word has transformed to vaan.

Derived terms

• mikä vain

Synonyms

• (only): ainoastaan
• (ever): tahansa

Anagrams

• ivan, niva, vian

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French

Pronunciation

• audio

  (file)

Adjective

vain m (feminine vaine, masculine plural vains, feminine plural vaines)

1. useless, ineffective, fruitless
2. vain, shallow

Synonyms

• inutile

Related terms

• vanité
• vaniteux

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Jèrriais

Etymology

From Old French vain, from Latin vānus (“empty”).

Adjective

vain m (feminine vaine, masculine plural vains, feminine plural vaines)

1. vain