Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
vain. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
vain, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
vain in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
vain you have here. The definition of the word
vain will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
vain, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Alternative forms
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Middle English veyn, from Old French vain, from Latin vānus (“empty”).
Adjective
vain (comparative vainer or more vain, superlative vainest or most vain)
- 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.
- Having no real substance, value, or importance; empty; void; worthless; unsatisfying.
c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :I will not hear thy vain excuse
1667, John Milton, “Book II”, in Paradise Lost. , London: [Samuel Simmons], , →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: , London: Basil Montagu Pickering , 1873, →OCLC:Vain wisdom all, and false philosophy.
- 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.
1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, , →OCLC, Canto XXX, page 48:At our old pastimes in the hall
We gambol’d, making vain pretence
Of gladness, with an awful sense
Of one mute Shadow watching all.
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.
- Showy; ostentatious.
1735, Alexander Pope, “Epistle 4”, in The Works of Mr. Alexander Pope, volume II, London: J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver , →OCLC, page 40, lines 25–30: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, […]
Synonyms
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
overly proud of one's appearance
- Armenian: սնապարծ (hy) (snaparc)
- Azerbaijani: şöhrətpərəst
- Bulgarian: суетен (bg) (sueten), тщеславен (bg) (tšteslaven)
- Catalan: vanitós (ca)
- Dutch: ijdel (nl)
- Finnish: turhamainen (fi)
- French: vaniteux.
- Galician: vaidoso m
- Georgian: ფუქსავატი (puksavaṭi), თავმომწონე (tavmomc̣one), პატივმოყვარე (ṗaṭivmoq̇vare)
- German: eitel (de)
- Greek: ματαιόδοξος (el) (mataiódoxos)
- Hebrew: גאוותן (ga'avtán)
- Hungarian: hiú (hu), öntelt (hu), önelégült (hu), beképzelt (hu)
- Irish: arduallach, mustrach, díomasach
- Italian: vanitoso (it), vanesio (it)
- Kabuverdianu: janóta, bazófu, bazofe, intxide
- Ladin: sabe
- 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)
- Ukrainian: марносла́вний m (marnoslávnyj)
- Welsh: balch (cy)
|
based on very little substance
pointless, futile
- Armenian: ունայն (hy) (unayn)
- Azerbaijani: nahaq (az), əbəs, boş (az), puç, bihudə
- Bulgarian: напразен (bg) (naprazen), безполезен (bg) (bezpolezen)
- Catalan: va (ca)
- Czech: marný (cs) m
- Danish: forgæves
- Dutch: nutteloos (nl), tevergeefs (nl)
- Finnish: turha (fi), tyhjä (fi), hyödytön (fi)
- French: vain (fr), futile (fr)
- Georgian: ამაო (amao), ფუჭი (puč̣i)
- German: unnützlich
- Gothic: 𐌷𐌰𐌻𐌺𐍃 (halks)
- Greek: μάταιος (el) (mátaios)
- Ancient: ἀποφώλιος (apophṓlios), μάταιος (mátaios), τηΰσιος (tēǘsios) ψαινύθιος (psainúthios)
- Hebrew: חסר תועלת (khasár to'élet)
- Hungarian: hiábavaló (hu), céltalan (hu), hiú (hu), felesleges (hu)
- Irish: in aisce, amú
- Old Irish: madae, madach
- Italian: vano (it)
- Latin: vānus, cassus
- Norwegian:
- Bokmål: forgjeves
- Nynorsk: forgjeves
- Portuguese: vão (pt)
- Russian: тще́тный (ru) (tščétnyj), напра́сный (ru) (naprásnyj), су́етный (ru) (sújetnyj)
- Scottish Gaelic: faoin
- Spanish: vano (es), vacuo (es)
- Swedish: fåfäng (sv)
- Welsh: gwag (cy), ofer (cy)
|
Etymology 2
A converstion of the adjectival form of vain. The only use of this verb in English appears c. 1628 in the writings of Owen Felltham.
Verb
vain (third-person singular simple present vains, present participle vaining, simple past and past participle vained)
- (transitive, rare, dated, obsolete) To frustrate. (The addition of quotations indicative of this usage is being sought:)
Further reading
- “vain”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “vain”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
- “vain”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
Anagrams
Dalmatian
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Latin vīnum. Compare Istriot veîn.
Pronunciation
Noun
vain m
- wine
Finnish
Alternative forms
- vaan (colloquial, all senses; also has other non-colloquial meanings)
Etymology
Probably an old instructive plural of the stem vaja- (*vajin). Cognate with Estonian vaid.
Pronunciation
Adverb
vain
- 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.
- ever (when used with an interrogative pronoun)
- Synonym: tahansa
- mikä vain ― whatever
- milloin vain ― whenever
- 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?
- (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 terms
Further reading
Anagrams
French
Etymology
Inherited from Old French vain, from Latin vānus, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁weh₂- (“empty”).
Pronunciation
Adjective
vain (feminine vaine, masculine plural vains, feminine plural vaines)
- useless, ineffective, fruitless
- Synonyms: see inutile
- vain, shallow
- Synonym: frivole
Derived terms
Related terms
Further reading
Norman
Etymology
From Old French vain, from Latin vānus (“empty”).
Adjective
vain m
- (Jersey) vain
Derived terms