Synonyms for vain
veɪnvain

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. vainadjective

   overly proud of oneself, especially when concerning appearance

   Synonyms:
   fruitless, futile, pointless, ineffectual

2. vainadjective

   having very little substance

   Synonyms:
   ineffectual, pointless, fruitless, futile

3. vainadjective

   effecting no purpose; pointless, futile.

   Synonyms:
   fruitless, ineffectual, futile, pointless

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:3.0 / 1 vote

1. vain

   Vain (Latin vanus, empty) keeps the etymological idea through all changes of meaning; a vain endeavor is empty of result, or of adequate power to produce a result, a vain pretension is empty or destitute of support, a vain person has a conceit that is empty or destitute of adequate cause or reason. That which is bootless, fruitless, or profitless fails to accomplish any valuable result; that which is abortive, ineffectual, or unavailing fails to accomplish a result that it was, or was supposed to be, adapted to accomplish. That which is useless, futile, or vain is inherently incapable of accomplishing a specified result. Useless, in the widest sense, signifies not of use for any valuable purpose, and is thus closely similar to valueless and worthless. Fruitless is more final than ineffectual, as applying to the sum or harvest of endeavor. That which is useless lacks actual fitness for a purpose; that which is vain lacks imaginable fitness. Compare VACANT; OSTENTATION; PRIDE.

   Compare synonyms for UTILITY.

   Synonyms:
   abortive, baseless, bootless, deceitful, delusive, empty, fruitless, futile, idle, inconstant, ineffectual, nugatory, null, profitless, shadowy, trifling, trivial, unavailing, unimportant, unprofitable, unreal, unsatisfying, unserviceable, unsubstantial, useless, vapid, visionary, worthless

   Antonyms:
   adequate, advantageous, beneficial, competent, effective, efficient, expedient, potent, powerful, profitable, real, serviceable, solid, sound, substantial, sufficient, useful, valid, valuable, worthy

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. vain

   Synonyms:
   empty, worthless, fruitless, unsatisfying, unavailing, idle, ineffectual, egotistic, showy, unreal, conceited, arrogant

   Antonyms:
   solid, substantial, sound, worthy, efficient, effectual, cogent, potent, unconceited, modest, real

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:5.0 / 2 votes

1. conceited, egotistic, egotistical, self-conceited, swollen, swollen-headed, vainadjective

   characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance

   "a conceited fool"; "an attitude of self-conceited arrogance"; "an egotistical disregard of others"; "so swollen by victory that he was unfit for normal duty"; "growing ever more swollen-headed and arbitrary"; "vain about her clothes"

   Synonyms:
   bootless, narcissistic, fruitless, swollen, self-loving, egotistic, swollen-headed, conceited, futile, sleeveless, egotistical, self-conceited

   Antonyms:
   humble, productive

2. bootless, fruitless, futile, sleeveless, vainadjective

   unproductive of success

   "a fruitless search"; "futile years after her artistic peak"; "a sleeveless errand"; "a vain attempt"

   Synonyms:
   unavailing, otiose, self-conceited, fruitless, egotistic, conceited, swollen-headed, futile, swollen, bootless, ineffectual, egotistical, sleeveless

   Antonyms:
   productive, humble

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. vainadjective

   Synonyms:
   unreal, shadowy, unsubstantial, supposititious, dreamy, baseless, imaginary, empty, void

2. vainadjective

   Synonyms:
   unavailing, useless, bootless, ineffectual, fruitless, profitless, futile, nugatory, abortive, unprofitable, without avail, idle, to no purpose, to no end

3. vainadjective

   Synonyms:
   worthless, unsatisfying, unsatisfactory, vapid, tasteless, insipid, flat, stale, mawkish

4. vainadjective

   Synonyms:
   conceited, vain-glorious, inflated, overweening, ostentatious, high, self-sufficient, flushed, opinionated, self-satisfied, self-confident, self-admiring, self-opinioned, self-flattering, high-flown, puffed up, wise in one's own conceit

5. vainadjective

   Synonyms:
   boastful, vaunting

6. vainadjective

   Synonyms:
   rodomontade, empty boasting

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:1.0 / 1 vote

1. vainadjective

   Synonyms:
   conceited, arrogant, egotistical, overweening, vainglorious, nugatory, fruitless, ineffectual, frustrate, unavailing, bootless, futile, abortive, ineffective, empty, delusive, chimerical, unsatisfying, unsubstantial, deceitful

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "vain":

   futile, conceited, fruitless, pointless, useless, unsuccessful, only, marl, unnecessary

Concise Medical Dictionary, by Joseph C Segen, MDRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. VAIN

   Synonyms:
   Vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia

2. VAIN

   Synonyms:
   Vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia

Suggested Resources

1. vain

   Song lyrics by vain -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by vain on the Lyrics.com website.

2. VAIN

   What does VAIN stand for? -- Explore the various meanings for the VAIN acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.

How to pronounce vain?

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How to use vain in a sentence?

1. Esther Hyman:

   The events of 7/7 do seem to have slipped out of public consciousness, it's worth remembering an event like 7/7 and learning lessons from it so that it didn't happen in vain.

2. Edwin Markham:

   We all are blind until we seeThat in the human planNothing is worth the making ifIt does not make the man. Why build these cities gloriousIf man unbuilded goes?In vain we build the world, unlessThe builder also grows.

3. Gaius Valerius Catullus, Poem 85:

   I love and I hate. How can this be, you ask in vain. I know not, but I feel it to be so and am wracked with pain.

4. W. Somerset Maugham:

   The common idea that success spoils people by making them vain, egotistic, and self-complacent is erroneous -- on the contrary, it makes them, for the most part, humble, tolerant, and kind. It is failure that makes people bitter and cruel.

5. John Dryden:

   Men are but children of a larger growth, Our appetites as apt to change as theirs, And full as craving too, and full as vain.