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 adjective [-er/-est only] (SELFISH) too proud of yourself, esp. in your appearance or achievements (Definition of vain from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © …

Vain definition: excessively proud of or concerned about one's own appearance, qualities, achievements, etc.; conceited.. See examples of VAIN used in a sentence.

1. To no avail; without success: Our labor was in vain. 2. In an irreverent or disrespectful manner: took the Lord's name in vain.

Nov 19, 2025 · vain (third-person singular simple present vains, present participle vaining, simple past and past participle vained) (transitive, rare, dated, obsolete) To frustrate.

Definition of vain adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Discover everything about the word "VAIN" in English: meanings, translations, synonyms, pronunciations, examples, and grammar insights - all in one comprehensive guide.

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.

Some common synonyms of vain are empty, hollow, idle, nugatory, and otiose. While all these words mean "being without worth or significance," vain implies either absolute or relative …

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 …