vain

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++vain /veɪn/ adjective 1 PROUDsomeone who is vain is too proud of their good looks, abilities, or position – used to show disapproval 自负的，自视过高的，虚荣的〔含贬义〕 SYN conceited Men can be just as vain as women. 男人有时会和女人一样虚荣。► see thesaurus at proud2 in vain a) FAILwithout success in spite of your efforts 徒劳，无结果 Police searched in vain for the missing gunman. 警方搜寻失踪的持枪歹徒，但毫无结果。 b) without purpose or without positive results 白白地 Altman swore that his son’s death would not be in vain. 阿尔特曼发誓他的儿子不会白死。 → take somebody’s name in vain at name1(12)3 FAILa vain attempt, hope, or search fails to achieve the result you wanted 徒劳的vain attempt/effort/bid The young mother died in a vain attempt to save her drowning son. 那位年轻的母亲没能救起溺水的儿子，自己也淹死了。4. vain threat/promise etc literaryHARM/BE BAD FOR# a threat, promise etc that is not worrying because the person cannot do what they say they will 空洞的威胁/承诺等 —vainly adverb The instructor struggled vainly to open his parachute. 教官拼命想打开降落伞，但没有成功。n COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 3: a vain attempt, hope, or search fails to achieve the result you wantednounsa vain attempt/bid/effortPeople close their windows at night in a vain attempt to shut out the sound of gunfire.a vain hopeYoung men moved south in the vain hope of finding work.a vain searchMothers have been to every shop in town in a vain search for the toy.

Examples from the Corpus

vain• So look at your friends, see what they are a little vain about and then multiply by a factor of ten.• I remembered all my vain attempts to change his mind.• He stretched up his arms in a vain effort to reach the top of the embankment.• I am vain enough to want to look good, but not to style my hair and paint my toenails.• Pollsters have searched in vain for pockets of disloyalty.• The vain girl did a little dance in them, but when she tried to stop, the shoes kept on dancing.• She's a vain girl who is always thinking about her figure.• They are so vain in bed, much more vain than women.• Later, it tried in vain to conquer the whole of the subcontinent.in a vain attempt• Curling his toes in a vain attempt to frustrate the inhospitable lino, Mungo watched, fascinated.• The protesters flung handfuls of earth into the trenches in a vain attempt to lift the siege of the West Bank town.• Atmel is spending $ 400 million this year in a vain attempt to meet demand.• Fifi was back at the bars and stretching out her hand in a vain attempt to reach the steel tray.• Once, I dived full-length across the court in a vain attempt to retrieve the ball.• People close their windows at night in a vain attempt to shut out the sound of sirens and gunfire.Origin vain (1300-1400) Old French Latin vanus “empty, vain”

vain adjective →n COLLOCATIONS1LDOCE OnlineChinese

is is vain someone Corpus their who good proud of too

vain
vain /veɪn/

adjective

Date: 1300-1400
Language: Old French
Origin: Latin vanus 'empty, vain'

1. someone who is vain is too proud of their good looks, abilities, or position – used to show disapproval
SYN conceited:

Men can be just as vain as women.
2. in vain
a. without success in spite of your efforts:

Police searched in vain for the missing gunman.
b. without purpose or without positive results:

Altman swore that his son’s death would not be in vain. ⇨ take sb’s name in vain at name¹(12)
3. a vain attempt, hope, or search fails to achieve the result you wanted
vain attempt/effort/bid

The young mother died in a vain attempt to save her drowning son.
4. vain threat/promise etc literary a threat, promise etc that is not worrying because the person cannot do what they say they will
—vainly adverb:

The instructor struggled vainly to open his parachute.

COLLOCATIONS

(for Meaning 3)

■ nouns
   ▪ a vain attempt/bid/effort People close their windows at night in a vain attempt to shut out the sound of gunfire.
   ▪ a vain hope Young men moved south in the vain hope of finding work.
   ▪ a vain search Mothers have been to every shop in town in a vain search for the toy.

THESAURUS

   ▪ proud very pleased with what you, your family, or your country have achieved, or of something you own: I felt so proud when my son graduated from college. | Judith’s very proud of her new Ferrari.
   ▪ pleased with yourself feeling pleased because something good has happened, especially because you think you have been very clever, skilful etc: He was smoking a big cigar and was obviously pleased with himself. | I’d made a big profit and was feeling pretty pleased with myself.
   ▪ arrogant disapproving behaving in an unpleasant and annoying way, because you think you are better or know more than other people, and that your opinions are always right: He was arrogant and regarded people who disagreed with him as fools. | his arrogant attitude to women
   ▪ vain disapproving too proud of your appearance, in a way that annoys other people: He’s so vain – he thinks all the girls fancy him.
   ▪ conceited/big-headed disapproving proud of yourself because you think you are very intelligent, skilful, beautiful etc, especially without good reason and in a way that annoys people: Stewart’s the most arrogant conceited person I’ve ever known. | She was offered a brilliant job and became incredibly big-headed overnight.
   ▪ pompous disapproving thinking that you are much more important than you really are, and using very long and formal words to try to sound important: The clerk was a pompous little man with glasses. | a pompous speech
   ▪ smug disapproving pleased with yourself in a quiet but annoying way because you think you are in a better position than other people: Milly was looking very smug about coming top of the class. | a smug expression
   ▪ self-satisfied disapproving pleased with what you have achieved and showing it clearly in an annoying way: She glared angrily into his self-satisfied face. | a self-satisfied grin

vain

BrE

/veɪn/

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NAmE

/veɪn/

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adjective