See Also: Vain(medicine)
vain(dictionary)
vain(dictionary)

vain (iou)



vain adjective & noun. ME.
[Old & mod. French vain(e) from Latin vanus empty, without substance.]
A. adjective.
1. Devoid of real value, worth, or significance; idle, unprofitable, useless; ineffectual; fruitless, futile. ME.
J. Ruskin All literature, art, and science are vain..if they do not enable you to be glad. D. M. Frame It is..vain to try to be other than we are. New York Review of Books The vain attempts of feminist critics to prove there is a..'women's language'.
2. Empty, vacant, void. LME-M16.
3. Of a person: lacking sense or wisdom; foolish, thoughtless; of an idle or futile disposition. Now rare or obsolete. LME.
Shakespeare Comedy of Errors This I think, there's no man is so vain That would refuse so fair an offer'd chain.
4. Having an excessively high opinion of one's own appearance, abilities, worth, etc.; delighting in or desirous of attracting the admiration of others; conceited, proud. Also foll. by of. LME.
E. Templeton I am still vain enough to be pleased when my theories are confirmed. J. Harvey He evidently exercised and was vain of his figure.
Phrases: for vain (rare, Shakes.) in vain, for nothing. in vain to no effect or purpose; ineffectually, uselessly. labour in vain: see LABOUR noun. take a person's name in vain use a person's name (formerly esp. that of God) lightly or profanely; mention or speak of a person casually or irreverently.
B. noun.
1. Vanity; a vain thing. ME-M18.
O. Feltham The power of the Gospel, in crying down the vains of men.
2. Emptiness, vacant space. rare. LME-E16.
vainful adjective (obsolete exc. dial.) vain, unprofitable, useless E16.
vainly adverb in a vain futile manner; in vain: LME.
vainness [-n-n-] noun the state or condition of being vain; futility, ineffectiveness, uselessness; (now rare) vanity, conceit: LME.