I. ˈvān adjective
( -er/-est )
Etymology: Middle English vain, vein, from Old French, from Latin vanus empty, vain — more at wane
1. : having no real value, meaning, or foundation : empty , idle , worthless
vain pomp and glory of this world — Shakespeare
vain pretensions
vain promises
2. : marked by futility or ineffectualness : fruitless , unsuccessful
our vain quest for a utopian equilibrium — W.H.Whyte
a vain effort to stop the decay — H.I.Priestley
3. archaic : having or showing little sense or wisdom : foolish , silly
all that vain men imagine or believe — P.B.Shelley
4. : having or showing undue or excessive pride especially in one's appearance or achievements : conceited
was vain about his clothes — Hugh Walpole
was vain of the honor which he had won — J.A.Froude
vain of his family's long history — P.L.Fermor
Synonyms:
nugatory , otiose , idle , empty , hollow : vain describes that which is either absolutely lacking in value and worth or relatively insignificant and unavailing in comparison or contrast to other things vastly more significant, valuable, or powerful
a good deal of the older speculation on life and destiny was vain and insipid because of the theologic bias — M.R.Cohen
unless the forces of destruction now set loose in the world are brought under control, it is vain to plan for the future — Clement Attlee
nugatory may apply to the completely insignificant or to the inoperative, ineffective, void, or null
this book is so one-sided that as a constructive contribution it is nugatory — Times Literary Supplement
make the indictment void and nugatory
otiose describes that which is purposeless, profitless, or useless and is therefore at best superfluous and at worst encumbering and productive of unnecessary expense or difficulty
what kinds of criticism are useful and what are otiose — T.S.Eliot
mummified customs that have long outlasted their usefulness, and otiose dogmas that have long lost their vitality — W.R.Inge
idle may suggest lack of basis or solid foundation and hence may describe that which is incapable of use or effect
in the light of our present very limited knowledge of psychological processes it seems idle to speculate as to the origins of this need — Ralph Linton
living in an age of transition in everything and it is idle to deny that it is uncomfortable — S.P.B.Mais
empty applies to what lacks content or substance and hence significance although perhaps apparently consequential
if the right of the states to tax the means employed by the general government be conceded, the declaration that the constitution, and the laws made in pursuance thereof, shall be the supreme law of the land, is empty and unmeaning declamation — John Marshall
they have offered not a shred of evidence — nothing but bald assertion. And on the basis of this empty vociferation school programs and college admission requirements are overturned — C.H.Grandgent
hollow may suggest a deceiving lack of substance perceptible after examination or trial
the fight for the extension of the franchise is one of the most thrilling chapters in the history of political liberties, but its final triumph in the extension of the franchise to women came too late to conceal the fact that the victory was a hollow one, since political reforms could have little or no efficacy without corresponding economic reforms — F.B.Millett
the old Georgian mansions were converted into rooming houses. Trees were chopped down, so that the streets could be widened. The title of “most beautiful city” became hollow — American Guide Series: Michigan
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- in vain
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English vein, from Old French, from vein, adjective, vain
obsolete : vanity