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
But Simmons takes his time building his flawed character, who is soft-spoken in private, vain about his appearance and unfaithful to his wife.
—
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2025
Yet rather than call a tow truck, the Steelers are revving the engine in the hopes their tires don’t spin in vain but find a little grip amid all that mud.
—Will Graves, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 June 2025
Arena, like the adjacent club called Circus, was established by a couple of gay and Latino entrepreneurs as open-to-everyone party spaces — a radical departure during an era when discos were defined more by the vulgar discrimination of velvet ropes and vain bouncers policing entry.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2025
Trying in vain to predict where and when tariffs will hit is a losing game.
—Edmund Zagorin, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for vain
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2025
Yet rather than call a tow truck, the Steelers are revving the engine in the hopes their tires don’t spin in vain but find a little grip amid all that mud.
—Will Graves, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 June 2025
Arena, like the adjacent club called Circus, was established by a couple of gay and Latino entrepreneurs as open-to-everyone party spaces — a radical departure during an era when discos were defined more by the vulgar discrimination of velvet ropes and vain bouncers policing entry.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2025
Trying in vain to predict where and when tariffs will hit is a losing game.
—Edmund Zagorin, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for vain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vain
Adjective
-
The smug and sanctimonious tenor of their briefing makes that plain.—
Christie D’Zurilla,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2025
-
In a comedic twist, the Labrador retriever was filmed turning back to his owner during the drive, with a smug look on his face as if to boast about his comfortable spot.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 June 2025
Adjective
-
The researchers said their findings should not suggest afforestation and carbon offsetting are futile.—
Hayley Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2025
-
And beneath that fear lies a corrosive belief that resistance is futile.—
Elisa Manfredini,
Time,
14 June 2025
Adjective
-
Another’s insurer paid close to $1 million in a single year for worthless care.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
14 May 2025
-
And the further fragmentation of the media landscape doesn’t mean that prime time has suddenly turned into worthless real estate.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
9 May 2025
Adjective
-
Congratulations to the Ninth Circuit, America is proud of you tonight!—
Martha McHardy
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
-
By agreeing on the eventual package of £116m, Hughes and Rolfes were able to shake hands and both feel proud of the outcome.—
Gregg Evans,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
Life-saving efforts were unsuccessful and the man was pronounced dead at the scene, said Officer Anthony Gamble, a Sacramento Police Department spokesperson.—
The Sacramento Bee,
Sacbee.com,
29 June 2025
-
Attempts to impeach Pashinyan, who came to power in 2018, were unsuccessful.—
Avet Demourian,
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
Always empty or cover the pool when not in use to prevent accidents and mosquito breeding.—
Lauren Bengtson,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 June 2025
-
Lawmakers argue that local economies, such as small businesses in downtown areas, suffer when federal offices remain empty.—
Gleb Tsipursky,
Time,
25 June 2025
Adjective
-
The protests proved conclusively that Americans will not tolerate the deployment of the U.S. military in American cities, the constant line-stepping over constitutional boundaries, the arrests of political dissenters, or the arrogant defense of police-state tactics.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 June 2025
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In Aesop’s fable, the turtle (traditionally called a tortoise, which is a type of turtle) is a winner, a perpetual underdog who defeats the arrogant hare.—
A.O. Scott,
New York Times,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
However, disciplined conduct on the part of the activists and the intervention of other bystanders renders the attacks useless.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 June 2025
-
Pine needles mixed with all the other fine debris rendered the guards useless.—
Tim Carter,
Hartford Courant,
14 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vain. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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