vain

== English == === Alternative forms === wayn (obsolete) === Pronunciation === enPR: vān, (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA(key): /veɪn/ (Scotland) IPA(key): /ven/ (Wales, without the pane–pain merger) IPA(key): /vein/ Homophones: vein; vane (pane–pain merger) Rhymes: -eɪn === 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) 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 Having no real substance, value, or importance; empty; void; worthless; unsatisfying. Synonyms: idle, valueless; see also Thesaurus:insignificant, Thesaurus:worthless Effecting no purpose; pointless, futile. Synonyms: pointless, futile, fruitless, ineffectual; see also Thesaurus:futile Showy; ostentatious. Synonyms: brash, pizazzy; see also Thesaurus:gaudy ===== Derived terms ===== in vain Richard of York gave battle in vain take someone's name in vain vainness vainly ===== Related terms ===== vanity ===== 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) (transitive, rare, dated, obsolete) To frustrate. (The addition of quotations indicative of this usage is being sought:) ===== Further reading ===== “vain”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC. William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin Eli Smith, editors (1895–1910), “vain”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC. “vain”, in OneLook Dictionary Search. === Anagrams === Vani, Viña, Vina, Vian, 'avin', Ivan, Naʼvi, ivan, vani, vina == Dalmatian == === Alternative forms === ven === Etymology === From Latin vīnum. Compare Istriot veîn. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /βeŋ/ === Noun === vain m 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. Doublet of vaan. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈʋɑi̯n/, [ˈʋɑ̝i̯n] Rhymes: -ɑin Syllabification(key): vain Hyphenation(key): vain === Adverb === vain only, merely, exclusively, solely, just ever (when used with an interrogative pronoun) Synonym: tahansa mikä vain ― whatever milloin vain ― whenever An emphatic word used with the negative verb and -kö for tag questions. Synonym: niin (with a verb in imperative) go ahead, be my guest (in positive); definitely (in negative) Synonyms: sen kuin, sen kun, ihmeessä ==== Derived terms ==== kuka vain mikä vain === Further reading === “vain”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 4 July 2023 === Anagrams === inva-, ivan, niva, vian == French == === Etymology === Inherited from Old French vain, from Latin vānus, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁weh₂- (“empty”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /vɛ̃/ Homophones: vainc, vaincs, vains, vin, vingt, vingts, vins, vint, vînt === Adjective === vain (feminine vaine, masculine plural vains, feminine plural vaines) useless, ineffective, fruitless Synonyms: see inutile vain, shallow Synonym: frivole ==== Derived terms ==== en vain ==== Related terms ==== vanité vaniteux === Further reading === “vain”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012 == Norman == === Etymology === From Old French vain, from Latin vānus (“empty”). === Adjective === vain m (Jersey) vain ==== Derived terms ==== vainement (“vainly”)