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vain

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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See also: väin and VAIN

English

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From Middle English veyn, from Old French vain, from Latin vānus (“empty”).

Adjective

vain (comparative vainer or more vain, superlative vainest or most vain)

  1. Overly proud of oneself, especially concerning appearance; having a high opinion of one's own accomplishments with slight reason.
    Synonyms: conceited, flatulent, puffed up, inflated; see also Thesaurus:arrogant, Thesaurus:vain
    • 1959, Leo Rosten, The return of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N:
      Every writer is a narcissist. This does not mean that he is vain; it only means that he is hopelessly self-absorbed.
  2. Having no real substance, value, or importance; empty; void; worthless; unsatisfying.
    Synonyms: idle; see also Thesaurus:insignificant
  3. Effecting no purpose; pointless, futile.
    Synonyms: pointless, futile, fruitless, ineffectual; see also Thesaurus:futile
    vain toil    a vain attempt
    • 1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
      Vain is the force of man / To crush the pillars which the pile sustain.
    • 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XXX”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 48:
      At our old pastimes in the hall
      ⁠We gambol’d, making vain pretence
      ⁠Of gladness, with an awful sense
      Of one mute Shadow watching all.
    • 1921, Ben Travers, chapter 6, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC:
      But Sophia's mother was not the woman to brook defiance. After a few moments' vain remonstrance her husband complied. His manner and appearance were suggestive of a satiated sea-lion.
  4. Showy; ostentatious.
    Synonyms: brash, pizazzy; see also Thesaurus:gaudy
    • 1735, Alexander Pope, “Epistle 4”, in The Works of Mr. Alexander Pope, volume II, London: […] J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver […], →OCLC, page 40, lines 25–30:
      Yet ſhall (my Lord) your juſt, your noble Rules / Fill half the land with imitating Fools: / VVho random dravvings from your ſheets ſhall take, / And of one beauty many blunders make; / Load ſome vain Church with old Theatric State, / Turn Arcs of Triumph to a Garden-gate, […]
Derived terms
Translations

Etymology 2

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.

Verb

vain (third-person singular simple present vains, present participle vaining, simple past and past participle vained)

  1. (transitive, rare, dated, obsolete) To frustrate. (The addition of quotations indicative of this usage is being sought:)
Further reading

Anagrams

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Dalmatian

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Latin vīnum. Compare Istriot veîn.

Pronunciation

Noun

vain m

  1. wine

Finnish

Alternative forms

  • vaan (colloquial, all senses; also has other non-colloquial meanings)

Etymology

Probably an old instructive plural of the stem vaja- (*vajin). Cognate with Estonian vaid.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈʋɑi̯n/, [ˈʋɑ̝i̯n]
  • Audio:(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɑin
  • Syllabification(key): vain
  • Hyphenation(key): vain

Adverb

vain

  1. only, merely, exclusively, solely, just
    Olen vain ihminen.
    I am just/only a human.
    Paita maksoi vain kaksi euroa.
    The shirt cost just/only two euros.
  2. ever (when used with an interrogative pronoun)
    Synonym: tahansa
    mikä vain ― whatever
    milloin vain ― whenever
  3. An emphatic word used with the negative verb and -kö.
    Kävit siellä, etkö vain?
    You went there, didn't you?
    Tämä on se, eikö vain?
    This is it, right?
  4. (with a verb in imperative) go ahead, be my guest (in positive); definitely (in negative)
    Synonyms: sen kuin, sen kun, ihmeessä
    "Saanko syödä viimeisen suklaapalan?" "Syö vain."
    "May I eat the last piece of chocolate?" "Go ahead (and eat it)."
    Älä vain oleta minun syöneen viimeistä kakkupalaa.
    Definitely don't assume I ate the last slice of cake.

Derived terms

Further reading

Anagrams

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French vain, from Latin vānus, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁weh₂- (“empty”).

Pronunciation

Adjective

vain (feminine vaine, masculine plural vains, feminine plural vaines)

  1. useless, ineffective, fruitless
    Synonyms: see inutile
  2. vain, shallow
    Synonym: frivole

Derived terms

Further reading

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Norman

Etymology

From Old French vain, from Latin vānus (“empty”).

Adjective

vain m

  1. (Jersey) vain

Derived terms

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