Wiktionary

vain

See also: väin and VAIN

EnglishEdit

Alternative formsEdit

EtymologyEdit

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

PronunciationEdit

AdjectiveEdit

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.
    • 1922, Ben Travers, chapter 6, in A Cuckoo in the Nest:
      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 IV. To Richard Earl of Burlington.”, in The Works of Mr. Alexander Pope, volume II, London: […] J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver […], →OCLC, lines 25–30, page 40:
      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, […]

SynonymsEdit

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TranslationsEdit

Further readingEdit

AnagramsEdit

DalmatianEdit

Alternative formsEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Latin vīnum. Compare Istriot veîn.

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

vain m

  1. wine

FinnishEdit

Alternative formsEdit

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

EtymologyEdit

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

PronunciationEdit

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

AdverbEdit

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 termsEdit

AnagramsEdit

FrenchEdit

EtymologyEdit

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

PronunciationEdit

AdjectiveEdit

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

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

SynonymsEdit

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Further readingEdit

NormanEdit

EtymologyEdit

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

AdjectiveEdit

vain m

  1. (Jersey) vain

Derived termsEdit

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