Wiktionary

vain

See also: väin and VAIN

English

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Alternative forms

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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

Adjective

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

  1. Overly proud of oneself, especially concerning appearance; having a high opinion of one's own accomplishments with slight reason.
    • 1959, Leo Rosten, The return of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N:
      Every writer is a narcissist. This does not mean that he is vain; it only means that he is hopelessly self-absorbed.
  2. Having no real substance, value, or importance; empty; void; worthless; unsatisfying.
  3. Effecting no purpose; pointless, futile.
    vain toil    a vain attempt
    • 1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
      Vain is the force of man / To crush the pillars which the pile sustain.
    • 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, Canto XXX, page 48:
      At our old pastimes in the hall
      ⁠We gambol’d, making vain pretence
      ⁠Of gladness, with an awful sense
      Of one mute Shadow watching all.
    • 1921, Ben Travers, chapter 6, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC:
      But Sophia's mother was not the woman to brook defiance. After a few moments' vain remonstrance her husband complied. His manner and appearance were suggestive of a satiated sea-lion.
  4. Showy; ostentatious.
    • 1735, Alexander Pope, “Epistle 4”, in The Works of Mr. Alexander Pope, volume II, London: […] J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver […], →OCLC, page 40, lines 25–30:
      Yet ſhall (my Lord) your juſt, your noble Rules / Fill half the land with imitating Fools: / VVho random dravvings from your ſheets ſhall take, / And of one beauty many blunders make; / Load ſome vain Church with old Theatric State, / Turn Arcs of Triumph to a Garden-gate, […]
Synonyms
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Derived terms
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Translations
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Etymology 2

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A converstion of the adjectival form of vain. The only use of this verb in English appears c. 1628 in the writings of Owen Felltham.

Verb

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vain (third-person singular simple present vains, present participle vaining, simple past and past participle vained)

  1. (transitive, rare, dated, obsolete) To frustrate. (The addition of quotations indicative of this usage is being sought:)
Further reading
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Anagrams

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Dalmatian

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Latin vīnum. Compare Istriot veîn.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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vain m

  1. wine

Finnish

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Alternative forms

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  • vaan (colloquial, all senses; also has other non-colloquial meanings)

Etymology

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Probably an old instructive plural of the stem vaja- (*vajin). Cognate with Estonian vaid.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈʋɑi̯n/, [ˈʋɑ̝i̯n]
  • Rhymes: -ɑin
  • Syllabification(key): vain

Adverb

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vain

  1. only, merely, exclusively, solely, just
    Olen vain ihminen.
    I am just/only a human.
    Paita maksoi vain kaksi euroa.
    The shirt cost just/only two euros.
  2. ever (when used with an interrogative pronoun)
    Synonym: tahansa
    mikä vain ― whatever
    milloin vain ― whenever
  3. An emphatic word used with the negative verb and -kö.
    Kävit siellä, etkö vain?
    You went there, didn't you?
    Tämä on se, eikö vain?
    This is it, right?
  4. (with a verb in imperative) go ahead, be my guest (in positive); definitely (in negative)
    Synonyms: sen kuin, sen kun, ihmeessä
    "Saanko syödä viimeisen suklaapalan?" "Syö vain."
    "May I eat the last piece of chocolate?" "Go ahead (and eat it)."
    Älä vain oleta minun syöneen viimeistä kakkupalaa.
    Definitely don't assume I ate the last slice of cake.

Derived terms

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Further reading

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Anagrams

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French

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Etymology

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Inherited from Old French vain, from Latin vānus, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁weh₂- (“empty”).

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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

  1. useless, ineffective, fruitless
    Synonyms: see inutile
  2. vain, shallow
    Synonym: frivole

Derived terms

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Further reading

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Norman

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Etymology

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

Adjective

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vain m

  1. (Jersey) vain

Derived terms

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