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
Was Paul McLaughlin’s death in vain?
—
Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain.
—Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Sep. 2025
Thomas doesn't want her daughter to die in vain, either.
—Nushrat Rahman, Freep.com, 9 Sep. 2025
My daughter-in-law’s mother and I always peek into the boxes hoping in vain that this year something with red sauce and nitrates will appear.
—Inga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vain
Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain.
—Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Sep. 2025
Thomas doesn't want her daughter to die in vain, either.
—Nushrat Rahman, Freep.com, 9 Sep. 2025
My daughter-in-law’s mother and I always peek into the boxes hoping in vain that this year something with red sauce and nitrates will appear.
—Inga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vain
Adjective
-
As a sleazy, lecherous publicist pinned in a Manhattan phone booth by a faceless sniper on the other end of the line, Farrell goes from smug condescension to breathless victimhood pretty effortlessly.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
30 Oct. 2025
-
But Minnesota, with or without its unapologetically smug superstar, has been the Nuggets’ kryptonite for more than a year.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
But the rally felt less threatening than futile.—
Zach Fisch,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
-
And this is asking that question, how are these people finding meaning and purpose in their lives that feel so oppressive and futile?—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The gain from a call option would exceed the return on the stock alone, but involves greater risk than simply buying the stock because the contracts can expire worthless.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
7 Jan. 2026
-
When Ukraine agreed to give up the nuclear weapons on its soil in the mid-1990s, Russia provided a security guarantee that proved worthless.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
South Florida sports history is proud to have been the host for Crump’s barrier-busting history.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The Big Ten is marching into the heart of Southern football with a proud swagger, daring any conference to challenge its claim as the power to beat in the College Football Playoff.—
Charles Odum,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
But her appeal was unsuccessful.—
Ralphie Aversa,
USA Today,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Industry lobbying unsuccessful to date Some advocates for the restaurant industry have been lobbying to change the way service fees are treated.—
Cheryl Winokur Munk,
CNBC,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
That set up a dramatic final four minutes until Josh Doan scored a nearly 169-foot empty-netter to give the Sabres the breathing room for a 5-3 win.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
All of Bed Bath & Beyond’s complaints have contended that the carriers compounded the retailer’s operational and financial distress throughout the pandemic as shelves went empty and costs soared, ultimately leading to the company’s demise.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This version of Ryan was arrogant, unable to conceal pride in his accomplishment.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
-
So long as that situation continues, the 43-year-old’s allegedly arrogant and stand-offish treatment of his players will not worry the club hierarchy too much.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Brown’s statement on Monday was mostly useless corporate-speak.—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2026
-
This tiny amount of copper acts as a molecular steering wheel, preventing sugar molecules from shattering into useless carbon dioxide.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vain. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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