1
as in smug
having too high an opinion of oneself
a man so vain that he spent hours admiring himself in the mirror
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in futile
producing no results
all their efforts to escape proved vain
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in worthless
having no usefulness
having tired of the vain pleasures of life in the fast lane, he returned to the small town he had grown up in
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of vain
Today's deliveries are the most concrete proof that our struggle has not been in vain.
—
Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
If history is any guide, many innocent people will suffer before the incompetent grovelers and the vain objects of their groveling meet their inevitable fates.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 21 Aug. 2025
Johnson and his administration have spent much time and energy — mostly in vain — demanding more money from Pritzker and lawmakers in Springfield, in no small part due to the pressure on city services from having to plow more money into pension funds.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2025
Beforehand, Quiet tries to comfort John and reassure him that Dollface’s death won’t be in vain.
—Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vain
Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
If history is any guide, many innocent people will suffer before the incompetent grovelers and the vain objects of their groveling meet their inevitable fates.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 21 Aug. 2025
Johnson and his administration have spent much time and energy — mostly in vain — demanding more money from Pritzker and lawmakers in Springfield, in no small part due to the pressure on city services from having to plow more money into pension funds.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2025
Beforehand, Quiet tries to comfort John and reassure him that Dollface’s death won’t be in vain.
—Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vain
Adjective
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Howard sells his smug malice, digging into Matt in a way no one has before until the whole thing devolves into a physical fight.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
-
In fact, Martineau’s sign angered plenty of Democrats, some of whom were already worried that smug liberal activists are harming the party.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The Rockies’ brass, however, doesn’t believe the future is futile.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
31 Aug. 2025
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For a company of its size, competing on scale is futile.—
Lela London,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Rare is the business that grows by intermediating what is rendered worthless by the intermediation.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
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But these systems require setup time, which is possible before a hurricane surge, but worthless during rain bombs that can turn streets into rivers in minutes.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Erica Mosca is a proud first-generation college graduate who is a former teacher, former nonprofit founder and executive director, and small business owner who is the first Filipina to serve in the Nevada State Legislature representing District 14.—
Erica Mosca,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
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The academy noted that Greene was proud to have played roles that weren't related to his background.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
EW.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But buyout attempts from budget rivals like JetBlue and Frontier were unsuccessful both before and duringSpirt’s first bankruptcy process.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
30 Aug. 2025
-
Federal rules require employers to first recruit domestically and, if unsuccessful, to pay H-2B workers the prevailing local wage.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
First Impressions The SOLIX EverFrost 2 is heavy, even when empty.—
Brad Moon,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
-
If not in use, empty and cover them.—
John Tufts,
IndyStar,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The announcement was made during a backstage segment involving NXT General Manager Ava and the arrogant superstar Lexis King.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Aug. 2025
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But this act of arrogant bullying should also re-kindle the spirit of hope and unity that swept through this community in the aftermath of that horrible night in 2016, that still binds Orlando in its 150th anniversary year.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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This method is a significant departure from traditional chemical recycling techniques like pyrolysis, which operate at lower temperatures (450–600°C) and produce over a hundred different by-products, many of which are useless.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Sep. 2025
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Economists usually look at new jobs, but immigration is now very low, making that figure useless as a measure of how the economy is doing.—
Bill Conerly,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vain. Accessed 7 Sep. 2025.
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