Wiktionary

vain

Archived revision by Surjection (talk | contribs) as of 13:37, 31 December 2022.
See also: väin and VAIN

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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.
    • 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.
  3. Effecting no purpose; pointless, 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.
    • 1922, Ben Travers, chapter 6, in A Cuckoo in the Nest:
      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.
    • 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, […]

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

Anagrams

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]
  • Rhymes: -ɑin
  • Syllabification(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)
    mikä vain, milloin vain (“whenever”)
    Synonym: tahansa
  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
    "Saanko syödä viimeisen suklaapalan?" "Syö vain."
    "May I eat the last piece of chocolate?" "Go ahead (and eat it)."
    Synonyms: sen kuin, sen kun

Derived terms

Anagrams

French

Etymology

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
  2. vain, shallow

Synonyms

Derived terms

Further reading

Norman

Etymology

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

Adjective

vain m

  1. (Jersey) vain

Derived terms

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