The meaning of VAIN is having or showing undue or excessive pride in one's appearance or achievements : conceited. How to use vain in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Vain.
Vain definition: excessively proud of or concerned about one's own appearance, qualities, achievements, etc.; conceited.. See examples of VAIN used in a sentence.
Definition of vain adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
vain (third-person singular simple present vains, present participle vaining, simple past and past participle vained) (transitive, rare, dated, obsolete) To frustrate.
There are nine meanings listed in OED's entry for the word vain, four of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
in an improper or irreverent manner: to take God's name in vain. conceited: a vain dandy. proceeding from or showing personal vanity: vain remarks. futile: a vain effort. baseless or worthless: vain pageantry; vain display. [Archaic.]senseless or foolish. to no purpose: to apologize in vain.
Vain is from Latin vanus, "empty," and in English it originally meant "lacking value or effect, futile," like your vain attempt to find a pencil in your messy, overstuffed backpack. Likewise, the phrase "in vain" means "without success." Vain also means "conceited, too proud of oneself."
