in vain
Without success or a result; ending in failure.
[…]that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain[…]
vain
/veɪn/
adj 4verb 1noun 1
Collocations
5ADJ.
all, easy, hard, heavy, little, open, proud
VERB + VAIN
attempts, bit, deceive, hear, help, made, rock, tried
VAIN + NOUN
efforts, man, station, words
PREP.
in, than, with
ADV.
only, rather
Definitions
adj
1
Overly proud of oneself, especially concerning appearance; having a high opinion of one's own accomplishments with slight reason.
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.
I will not hear thy vain excuse
Let no man deceive you with vain words.
3
Effecting no purpose; pointless, futile.
vain toil a vain attempt
Vain is the force of man / To crush the pillars which the pile sustain.
4
Showy; ostentatious.
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, […]
verb
1
To frustrate.
noun
1
Acronym of vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia.
Thesaurus
Synonyms
adjective — characteristic of false pride
- conceited
- egotistic
- egotistical
- self-conceited
- swollen
- swollen-headed
Antonyms
Idioms & Phrases
Example Bank
601
Every writer is a narcissist. This does not mean that he is vain; it only means that he is hopelessly self-absorbed.
Wiktionary02
I will not hear thy vain excuse
Wiktionary03
Let no man deceive you with vain words.
Wiktionary04
All my haste was in vain.
Tatoeba · #1974705
We knocked at the door for five minutes, but in vain.
Tatoeba · #2300406
All our efforts were in vain.
Tatoeba · #23353Usage Notes
i Register
In some senses, vain is marked as dated, obsolete, rare. Watch for register when choosing this word.
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