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
Instead he might have been remembered as another god or angel among many, who came down for a while to heal some bodies, heal some souls, who tried in vain to teach us how to get back to the radix of our lives, then left again.
—
Lamorna Ash, The Dial, 6 May 2025
Fearing that Williams might go to the New Orleans Saints at No. 9, the 49ers tried in vain to trade up to No. 8 with the Carolina Panthers.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 5 May 2025
The recent arrest of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in The Hague suggests that such efforts are not necessarily in vain.
—Boyd Van Dijk, Foreign Affairs, 30 Apr. 2025
Conclave depicts the Catholic church at an inflection point, with warring political factions proving themselves vain, self-serving, and hypocritical in their pursuit of power.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vain
Lamorna Ash, The Dial, 6 May 2025
Fearing that Williams might go to the New Orleans Saints at No. 9, the 49ers tried in vain to trade up to No. 8 with the Carolina Panthers.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 5 May 2025
The recent arrest of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in The Hague suggests that such efforts are not necessarily in vain.
—Boyd Van Dijk, Foreign Affairs, 30 Apr. 2025
Conclave depicts the Catholic church at an inflection point, with warring political factions proving themselves vain, self-serving, and hypocritical in their pursuit of power.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vain
Adjective
-
To his critics, Jost’s smug humor felt noticeably anachronistic at a time when the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements were calling for a greater awareness of society’s deep inequalities, and for ostensibly liberal institutions to do better.—
Michael Tedder,
The Atlantic,
17 May 2025
-
The series has been characterized by smug antics in defeat.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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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
-
Life seems almost worthless in this world, as the lack of interest two federal police officers show in the dead body establishes why Marcelo can’t go to the authorities for help.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
18 May 2025
-
The answer is that American assurances are worthless.—
Andy J. Semotiuk,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
They were thanked for coming by loyal Canadians, clearly proud of their head of state.—
Simon Perry,
People.com,
27 May 2025
-
At Ferrara, which has a long, proud history of making candy in Chicago, the business outlook is still positive, according to Greg Guidotti, chief marketing officer.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2025
Adjective
-
Officials said he was found semiconscious on the River Trail on June 30 but resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
24 May 2025
-
Efforts to refloat the ship during high tide on Thursday were unsuccessful.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
23 May 2025
Adjective
-
One night at dinner, my daughter whispered to me that the empty bread basket was a bummer.—
Lauren Mechling,
Vogue,
19 May 2025
-
Federal judge blocks Trump from carrying out threats to schools over DEI Milwaukee church saw opportunity to plant trees on empty land.—
David Shepardson,
USA Today,
17 May 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
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But in a time long before replay could overturn a call, protest was useless.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
16 May 2025
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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 30 May. 2025.
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