Vain
/veɪn/
adjectiveB2
Definition
Vain describes a person who cares a lot about how they look or what others think of them. It can also mean trying to do something but failing because it does not produce any result or success.
Was this helpful?
See It in Action
Too proud of appearance or qualities
- •She is so vain that she spends hours looking at herself in the mirror.
- •His vain attitude made it hard for him to make friends.
- •Don’t be vain about your clothes; kindness is more important.
Without success; not producing the wanted result
- •They tried in vain to fix the old car, but it still wouldn’t start.
- •He searched in vain for his lost keys all morning.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "vain" like "proud," but more about how you look or what others think, sometimes too much or in a bad way
- ✓Picture someone looking in a mirror many times, always checking if they look perfect
- ✓It’s the feeling when you try very hard to do something but it doesn’t work, and you feel frustrated
- ✓Sounds like "VEIN" → Imagine a person looking at their veins in their arms, thinking about themselves a lot
- ✓In stories, vain characters often care more about their looks than kindness or actions
- ✓NOT like "proud" (which can be good), "vain" often means too much pride or selfishness
- ✓When "vain" means unsuccessful, it is NOT like "successful" or "effective" — it means no result
- ✓"Vain" pride is self-focused, while other words like "confident" are more balanced and positive
Try Other Words
- •Conceited: too proud of yourself in a way others may not like (Use when focusing on negative pride about appearance or abilities)
- •Unsuccessful: not achieving the goal (Use when "vain" means without success)
- •Futile: something that has no chance of success (Use in formal or serious contexts about efforts that fail)
Unboxing
- •Root: "vain" comes from Latin "vanus," meaning empty or worthless
- •Etymology: Latin origin, used in English since the 1300s to mean empty or without value, then grew to mean pride without real worth
- •Historical development: Originally meant empty or hollow, later used to describe pride that is empty or unsuccessful efforts
- •Modern usage: Used to describe people who are too proud or efforts that fail to produce results
Reflect & Connect
•Can being vain ever be a good thing? When might pride help someone?
•How do you feel when you see someone acting vain? Does it change how you think about them?
Fill in the blanks
1.She was so vain that she spent ___ hours looking at herself in the mirror, hoping to ___ perfect.
2.They tried in vain to ___ the problem, but nothing they did helped.
3.His vain pride made him ___ friends because he only cared about himself.
4.When efforts are vain, it means there is no ___ or success.
5.Unlike being confident, being vain often shows too much ___ about appearance or abilities.
6.The team worked hard, but their attempts were ___ because the machine was broken beyond repair.
7.People who are vain often care more about ___ than about what others feel.