Word
vain
US/ˈveɪn/
UK/vˈeɪn/
Definitions
01proud of appearance
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. too proud of your own appearance, abilities, or achievements.
adj. excessively proud of or concerned with one's own appearance, qualities, or achievements.
“He is so vain that he looks at his reflection in every shop window.”
“The actor was notoriously vain, insisting on specific lighting and camera angles to hide even the slightest hint of aging.”
Synonyms
02useless or futile
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. producing no result; useless.
adj. having no success; failing to produce the desired result.
“The police made a vain attempt to stop the crowd from entering.”
“Despite their vain efforts to revive the outdated software, the company eventually decided to build a new system from scratch.”
Usage
Commonly used in the fixed phrase 'in vain', meaning without success.
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“Lyubov waited in vain for her mother's body to be brought out, while other families had no idea if their relatives were alive or dead.” “Reg Keys, whose son Tom was killed in Iraq four days before his 21st birthday, told a news conference that his son had "died in vain".” Etymology
From Middle English veyn, from Old French vain, from Latin vānus (“empty”).
A conversion of the adjectival form of vain. The only use of this verb in English appears c. 1628 in the writings of Owen Felltham.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Idioms
01. in vain
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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