vainly

Meanings

• adverb

  Acting in a way that is useless or pointless; having no practical value or effect.

• adverb

  Without result or effect; fruitlessly.

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Pronunciation

1. /ˈveɪnli/
   
   
   
   Source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2651675"

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Synonyms

in vain

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Rhymes

Words rhyming with vainly
chainly , rainily , remainly

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Variants

List of all variants of vainly that leads to same result
in vain , vain , vainer , vainest , vainly , vainness , vainnesses

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Etymology

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

From Middle English van, empty, worthless, from Old North French van, empty, worthless, from Latin vanus, empty, void.

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Trivia

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

1. The word 'vainly' comes from the Latin word 'vanus', which means 'empty' or 'void'.

2. In the Bible, the phrase 'vainly' is used to describe the futile attempts of the Israelites to resist the Babylonians during the siege of Jerusalem.

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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. futility: The quality of being useless, unproductive, or pointless.

2. hopelessness: The feeling of having no hope or expectation of success.

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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.

In literature, 'vainly' is often used to describe futile or unsuccessful actions. For example, in Shakespeare's 'Macbeth', Lady Macbeth famously cries, 'Come, you spirits / That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, / And fill me from the crown to the toe toppling / With dire concerns.' She makes this plea 'vainly', as she is unable to change her nature or the outcome of events.

How to Memorize "vainly"

1. visualize
   

   - Imagine a person trying to do something, but nothing seems to be working out. They are acting 'vainly'.

2. associate
   

   - Associate the word 'vainly' with the idea of something being useless or pointless.

3. mnemonics
   

   - Create a mnemonic using the first letter of each definition: 'Vainly means acting Without Result or Effect.'

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