Definitions

vain

[veyn] / veɪn /

ADJECTIVE

egotistical

Synonyms

STRONGEST

arrogant cocky

WEAK

big-headed boastful conceited egocentric egoistic haughty high-and-mighty inflated narcissistic ostentatious overweening pleased with oneself proud puffed up self-important stuck-up swaggering swollen-headed vainglorious

Antonyms

STRONGEST

humble

WEAK

modest possible shy

ADJECTIVE

futile, useless

Synonyms

STRONGEST

frivolous fruitless petty trivial

WEAK

abortive barren bootless delusive delusory empty going nowhere hollow idle in vicious circle inefficacious insignificant misleading no-win not a prayer nugatory on a treadmill otiose paltry pointless profitless puny senseless shuck slight sterile time-wasting trifling unavailing unimportant unnotable unproductive unprofitable valueless void worthless

Antonyms

STRONGEST

consequential important significant useful

WEAK

modest possible shy

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The novel recounts the investigative bread-crumb trail he follows into rural Peru to uncover the background of this vain, mercurial prodigy.

From The Wall Street Journal

It is interesting that they’ve always been enormously vain about the originality of their policy insights, their perceiving before others the rise of populism.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Many people asked me to ignore it, others said that my fight was in vain and that I should just 'play football'," Vinicius said in a post on X.

From BBC

The Pentagon has since tried in vain to demote his military rank and a grand jury have declined to charge him with seditious conspiracy.

From BBC

So far, so clear, but even given the program’s three-sentence synopsis, what unfolds around the vain King fails to deliver narrative clarity.

From The Wall Street Journal

vain

Example Sentences

Related Words