vain

Meanings

• adjective

  having or showing an excessively high opinion of one's own importance or achievements.

  - "He took a vain victory lap around the track after winning the race."
  - "She was vain about her beauty and spent hours in front of the mirror."

• adjective

  absorbing or reflecting light without producing any useful effect; fruitless.

  - "The mirror reflected a vain image of herself."
  - "The gardener's efforts were vain as the flowers wouldn't bloom."

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Pronunciation

1. /veɪn/
   
   
   
   Source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1243869"

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Synonyms

conceited , inflated , puffed up , fruitless , futile , ineffectual , pointless

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Rhymes

Words rhyming with vain
rain , chain , pain , gain , main

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Variants

List of all variants of vain that leads to same result
in vain , vain , vainer , vainest , vainly , vainness , vainnesses , take in vain , taken in vain , takes in vain , taking in vain , took in vain

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Etymology

origin and the way in which meanings have changed throughout history.

Old French van, empty; from Latin vanus, empty, worthless.

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Trivia

Any details, considerations, events or pieces of information regarding the word

1. The term 'vain' comes from the Latin word 'vanus', which means 'empty'.

2. The term 'vain' can also be used as a verb, meaning 'to make futile or fruitless'.

3. The term 'vain' has been used in the Bible to describe the futility of life without God.

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Related Concepts

informations on related concepts or terms closely associated with the word. Discuss semantic fields or domains that the word belongs to

1. arrogance: Arrogance is a similar concept to vainness, but it often implies a sense of superiority over others.

2. narcissism: Narcissism is a personality disorder characterized by an excessive preoccupation with one's own self-image.

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Quotes

Quotes by authors and personalities

1. Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being "vain". Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.

   - Jane Austen,{it}Pride and Prejudice{/it},1813

2. … the miseries of people's lives ought not to be exploited ad libitum in the furtherance of our profits or our careers, and in the "vain" conviction that we understand everything.

   - Richard Taruskin,{it}New Republic{/it},24 Dec. 2001

3. For a half a century, scholars have searched "in vain" for the source of the jade that the early civilizations of the Americas prized above all else and fashioned into precious objects of worship, trade and adornment.

   - William J. Broad,{it}New York Times{/it},22 May 2002

4. Where words are scarce, they are seldom spent "in vain" …

   - William Shakespeare,{it}King Richard the Second{/it},1596

5. It is "in vain" to say human beings ought to be satisfied with tranquillity: they must have action; and they will make it if they cannot find it.

   - Charlotte Brontë,{it}Jane Eyre{/it},1847

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Culture

Any cultural, historical, or symbolic significance of the word. Explore how the word has been used in literature, art, music, or other forms of expression.

The term 'vain' has been used extensively in literature and art to depict characters with an excessive sense of self-importance. In music, the term 'vain' is used in the title of songs to express feelings of futility or emptiness.

How to Memorize "vain"

1. visualize
   

   - Visualize a person preening themselves in the mirror, taking excessive pride in their appearance.

2. associate
   

   - Associate the word 'vain' with the image of an empty vessel or a futile effort.

3. mnemonics
   

   - Use the mnemonic 'Vain is an empty, fruitless thing' to remember the definition.

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