Meaning

4 senses
  1. Overly proud of oneself, especially concerning appearance; having a high opinion of one's own accomplishments with slight reason.

    eitel

    тщесла́вныйtščeslávnyj, показно́йpokaznój

    марносла́внийmarnoslávnyj

  2. Having no real substance, value, or importance; empty; void; worthless; unsatisfying.

    пусто́йpustój, беспло́дныйbesplódnyj

  3. Effecting no purpose; pointless, futile.

    vain toil a vain attempt

    unnütz, vergeblich

    тще́тныйtščétnyj, напра́сныйnaprásnyj, су́етныйsújetnyj

  4. Showy; ostentatious.

More definitions
  • unproductive of success
  • characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance

Examples

288 sentences
  1. All our efforts were in vain.

    Усі наші зусилля були марні.

    ruНаши хлопоты были напрасны.

    deUnsere Bemühungen waren vergeblich.

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  2. All their efforts were in vain.

    Всі їхні зусилля були марні.

    ruВсе их усилия были тщетными.

    deAlle ihre Bemühungen waren vergebens.

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  3. I tried in vain to open it.

    Я марно намагався відкрити його.

    ruЯ тщетно пытался открыть его.

    deIch habe vergeblich versucht, es aufzumachen.

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  4. We protested, but it was in vain.

    Ми протестували, але безрезультатно.

    ruМы протестовали, но безрезультатно.

    deWir protestierten, aber es war vergebens.

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  5. Tom is vain.

    Том марнославний.

    ruТом тщеславен.

    deTom ist eitel.

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Translations

8 languages
Українська
By meaning 1
overly proud of one's appearance:
Русский
By meaning 3
overly proud of one's appearance:
based on very little substance:
pointless, futile:
Deutsch
By meaning 2
overly proud of one's appearance:
pointless, futile:

Origin

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

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

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

vainer/more vain, vainest/most vain
Comparativevainer / more vain Lesson
Superlativevainest / most vain Lesson

regular

Synonyms

258 synonyms

Antonyms

2 antonyms

Word family

11 related words

Collocations

3 patterns
  • tried in vain
  • were in vain
  • in vain to

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
vain — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto