vain

See also: väin

Contents

EnglishEdit

EtymologyEdit

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

PronunciationEdit

• enPR: vān, IPA^(key): /veɪn/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Homophones: vane, vein
• Rhymes: -eɪn

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.
   • (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 no real substance, value, or importance; empty; void; worthless; unsatisfying.
   • William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

     thy vain excuse

   • Bible, Ephesians v. 6

     Let no man deceive you with vain words.

   • John Milton (1608-1674)

     Vain wisdom all, and false philosophy.

3. Effecting no purpose; pointless, futile.

   vain toil;  a vain attempt

   • John Dryden (1631-1700)

     Vain is the force of man / To crush the pillars which the pile sustain.

   • (Can we date this quote?) William of Occam

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

   • 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.
   • Alexander Pope (1688-1744)

     Load some vain church with old theatric state.

SynonymsEdit

• (overly proud of oneself): conceited; puffed up; inflated
• (pointless): pointless, futile, fruitless, ineffectual
• See also Wikisaurus:arrogant
• See also Wikisaurus:futile

Derived termsEdit

• in vain
• vainness
• vainly

Related termsEdit

• vanity

TranslationsEdit

overly proud of one's appearance

• Armenian: սնապարծ (hy) (snaparc)
• Catalan: vanitós
• Dutch: ijdel (nl)
• Finnish: turhamainen
• French: vaniteux.
• Galician: vaidoso m
• German: eitel (de)
• Greek: ματαιόδοξος (el) (mataiódoxos)
• Hebrew: גאוותן‎ (ga'avtán)
• Irish: arduallach

• Italian: vanitoso (it), vanesio (it)
• Maori: whakapehapeha, whakahīhī
• Persian: ایفده‎ (ifode)
• Polish: próżny (pl)
• Portuguese: vaidoso (pt) m, vão (pt)
• Russian: тщесла́вный (ru) (tščeslávnyj), показно́й (ru) (pokaznój)
• Scottish Gaelic: mòr às, sgòideasach, sgòideil, uaibhreach, uailleach
• Spanish: vanidoso (es)
• Swedish: fåfäng (sv)

based on very little substance

• Armenian: դատարկ (hy) (datark)
• Catalan: va (ca)
• Finnish: turha (fi)
• French: frivole (fr)

• Norwegian: overfladisk
• Portuguese: vazio (pt)
• Russian: пусто́й (ru) (pustój), беспло́дный (ru) (besplódnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: faoin

pointless, futile

• Armenian: ունայն (hy) (unayn)
• Catalan: va (ca)
• Czech: marný m
• Dutch: nutteloos (nl), tevergeefs (nl)
• Finnish: turha (fi), tyhjä (fi)
• French: vain (fr), futile (fr)
• Georgian: ამაო (amao)
• German: unnützlich
• Hebrew: חסר תועלת‎ (khasár to'élet)

• Italian: vano (it)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: forgjeves

  Nynorsk: forgjeves

• Portuguese: vão (pt)
• Russian: тще́тный (ru) (tščétnyj), напра́сный (ru) (naprásnyj), су́етный (ru) (sújetnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: faoin
• Spanish: vano (es) m, vacuo (es) m

Further readingEdit

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

AnagramsEdit

• Ivan, Vani, Viña, vina

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DalmatianEdit

Alternative formsEdit

• ven

EtymologyEdit

From Latin vīnum. Compare Istriot veîn.

PronunciationEdit

• IPA^(key): βeŋ

NounEdit

vain m

1. wine

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FinnishEdit

AdverbEdit

vain

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

Usage notesEdit

In many dialects, this word has transformed to vaan.

Derived termsEdit

• mikä vain

SynonymsEdit

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

AnagramsEdit

• ivan, niva, vian

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FrenchEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Old French vain, from Latin vānus.

PronunciationEdit

• audio

  (file)

• IPA^(key): /vɛ̃/
• Homophones: vin, vingt, vins, vint

AdjectiveEdit

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

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

SynonymsEdit

• inutile

Related termsEdit

• vanité
• vaniteux

Further readingEdit

• “vain” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

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NormanEdit

EtymologyEdit

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

AdjectiveEdit

vain m

1. (Jersey) vain

Derived termsEdit

• vainement (“vainly”)