'Vain' definitions:
Definition of 'vain'
From: WordNet
adjective
Characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance; "a conceited fool"; "an attitude of self-conceited arrogance"; "an egotistical disregard of others"; "so swollen by victory that he was unfit for normal duty"; "growing ever more swollen-headed and arbitrary"; "vain about her clothes" [syn: conceited, egotistic, egotistical, self- conceited, swollen, swollen-headed, vain]
adjective
Unproductive of success; "a fruitless search"; "futile years after her artistic peak"; "a sleeveless errand"; "a vain attempt" [syn: bootless, fruitless, futile, sleeveless, vain]
Definition of 'Vain'
From: GCIDE
- Vain \Vain\ (v[=a]n), a. [Compar. Vainer; superl. Vainest.] [F. vain, L. vanus empty, void, vain. Cf. Vanish, Vanity, Vaunt to boast.]
- 1. Having no real substance, value, or importance; empty; void; worthless; unsatisfying. "Thy vain excuse." --Shak. [1913 Webster]
- Every man walketh in a vain show. --Ps. xxxix. 6. [1913 Webster]
- Let no man deceive you with vain words. --Eph. v. 6. [1913 Webster]
- Vain pomp, and glory of this world, I hate ye! --Shak. [1913 Webster]
- Vain wisdom all, and false philosophy. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
- 2. Destitute of force or efficacy; effecting no purpose; fruitless; ineffectual; as, vain toil; a vain attempt. [1913 Webster]
- Bring no more vain oblations. --Isa. i. 13. [1913 Webster]
- Vain is the force of man To crush the pillars which the pile sustain. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]
- 3. Proud of petty things, or of trifling attainments; having a high opinion of one's own accomplishments with slight reason; conceited; puffed up; inflated. [1913 Webster]
- But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is barren? --James ii. 20 (Rev. Ver.). [1913 Webster]
- The minstrels played on every side, Vain of their art. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]
- 4. Showy; ostentatious. [1913 Webster]
- Load some vain church with old theatric state. --Pope. [1913 Webster]
- Syn: Empty; worthless; fruitless; ineffectual; idle; unreal; shadowy; showy; ostentatious; light; inconstant; deceitful; delusive; unimportant; trifling. [1913 Webster]
Definition of 'Vain'
From: GCIDE
- Vain \Vain\, n. Vanity; emptiness; -- now used only in the phrase
- in vain. [1913 Webster]
- For vain. See In vain. [Obs.] --Shak.
- In vain, to no purpose; without effect; ineffectually. " In vain doth valor bleed." --Milton. " In vain they do worship me." --Matt. xv. 9.
- To take the name of God in vain, to use the name of God with levity or profaneness. [1913 Webster]
Synonyms of 'vain'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- abortive,
- absurd,
- airy,
- arrogant,
- asinine,
- barren,
- baseless,
- boastful,
- boasting,
- bootless,
- bootlessly,
- braggart,
- bragging,
- catchpenny,
- cocky,
- complacent,
- conceited,
- consequential,
- counterproductive,
- coxcombical,
- dandyish,
- delusive,
- delusory,
- doomed,
- effete,
- egocentric,
- egoistic,
- egotistical,
- empty,
- etiolated,
- fanfaron,
- fanfaronading,
- fatuitous,
- fatuous,
- feckless,
- flimsy,
- foolish,
- foppish,
- foredoomed,
- fribble,
- fribbling,
- frivolous,
- frothy,
- fruitless,
- fruitlessly,
- futile,
- futilely,
- Gascon,
- gasconading,
- groundless,
- haughty,
- hollow,
- idle,
- ill-founded,
- improperly,
- in vain,
- inadequate,
- inane,
- ineffective,
- ineffectual,
- inefficacious,
- inoperative,
- invalid,
- light,
- misleading,
- narcissan,
- narcissine,
- narcissistic,
- narcistic,
- nugacious,
- nugatory,
- of no force,
- otiose,
- overproud,
- overweening,
- paltry,
- petty,
- pointless,
- profitless,
- proud,
- puny,
- self-admiring,
- self-advertising,
- self-applauding,
- self-approving,
- self-assuming,
- self-complacent,
- self-conceited,
- self-congratulating,
- self-congratulatory,
- self-content,
- self-contented,
- self-delighting,
- self-endeared,
- self-esteeming,
- self-flattering,
- self-glorious,
- self-gratulating,
- self-gratulatory,
- self-important,
- self-lauding,
- self-loving,
- self-respecting,
- self-satisfied,
- self-sufficient,
- self-vaunting,
- shallow,
- silly,
- slender,
- slight,
- smug,
- sterile,
- stuck-up,
- superficial,
- thrasonic,
- thrasonical,
- trifling,
- trite,
- trivial,
- unavailable,
- unavailing,
- unbased,
- unfounded,
- ungrounded,
- unproductive,
- unprofitable,
- unsuccessful,
- unsuccessfully,
- unsupportable,
- unsupported,
- unsustainable,
- unsustained,
- untenable,
- unwarranted,
- useless,
- vacuous,
- vainglorious,
- vainly,
- valueless,
- vapid,
- vaporing,
- vaunting,
- void,
- windy,
- without basis,
- without foundation,
- worthless