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
From her plot against Daniel to her stunning looks, Alexis is definitely a Virgo.
Libra: Amanda Tanen
Venus makes a great first impression, and Amanda is no exception as Mode’s attractive (and slightly vain) receptionist.
—
Valerie Mesa, People.com, 14 Apr. 2025
As usual, there were costumes involved in a vain attempt to throw commuters off the scent.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 9 Apr. 2025
For Ueda, the fear is that his two-year effort to end Japan’s deflation-era rate policies will have been in vain.
—William Pesek, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
The film brought in $4.1 mil over the weekend, so Charles Melton did not shave Kit Connor in vain.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vain
Valerie Mesa, People.com, 14 Apr. 2025
As usual, there were costumes involved in a vain attempt to throw commuters off the scent.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 9 Apr. 2025
For Ueda, the fear is that his two-year effort to end Japan’s deflation-era rate policies will have been in vain.
—William Pesek, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
The film brought in $4.1 mil over the weekend, so Charles Melton did not shave Kit Connor in vain.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vain
Adjective
-
Everyone’s relationship has, yes, seasons, and each couple weathers a few different ones during the show, with smug closeness eroding into terse bitterness, doting affection into resentful frustration.—
Margaret Lyons,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
-
Dissections of power and masculinity that once bristled with adversarial vitality evolved into arid dialectics and windy anecdotes pickled in smug cynicism and lacking in thematic clarity.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Though their efforts were futile, their remains provide remarkable insight into the doomed city’s final moments.—
Eli Wizevich,
Smithsonian Magazine,
13 May 2025
-
Through the two-hour journey that makes up the Thunderbolt’s origin story, the audience experiences the way these skilled fighters continue butting heads over the most futile issues.—
Malik Peay,
Essence,
8 May 2025
Adjective
-
The promise of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to restore the steep cuts to the World Trade Center Health Program was a worthless lie, betraying the heroes and victims of 9/11.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
6 May 2025
-
Eliminating these protections raises the bar for relief and could leave students stuck with debt for worthless credits.—
Shahar Ziv,
Forbes.com,
6 May 2025
Adjective
-
In the next round that year, Boston lost Game 6 at home to the Heat before knocking out Jimmy Butler and his proud team by capturing Game 7 in Miami.—
Jay King,
New York Times,
15 May 2025
-
Jaylon is a proud alumnus of the University of Georgia.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
15 May 2025
Adjective
-
Later that month, Kalyn Free, an attorney from Oklahoma who was unsuccessful in her bid for a vice chair position, filed a complaint alleging that the DNC improperly merged two separate questions into a single vote.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 May 2025
-
Several attempts to establish at least a partial ceasefire have been unsuccessful.—
DASHA LITVINOVA,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2025
Adjective
-
In recent years, K Street has stood out more for its empty storefronts and large number of homeless people than as a vibrant center for activity.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
8 May 2025
-
Consumers have faced empty supermarket shelves and a nearly 90% surge in prices.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
8 May 2025
Adjective
-
For example, when a man in his sixties talks about the same thing, he’s seen as calm and logical, but when a woman in her twenties talks about it, she’s seen as arrogant or trying to act mature.—
Billboard Japan,
Billboard,
15 May 2025
-
By losing some of its arrogant charm, Doom has also lost the means to back it up.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
15 May 2025
Adjective
-
But in a time long before replay could overturn a call, protest was useless.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
16 May 2025
-
Those strong starts are useless if the Celtics can’t hold onto the advantage.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
12 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vain. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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