as in vanity
an often unjustified feeling of being pleased with oneself or with one's situation or achievements
the vainglory that nations have historically shown after they have achieved military supremacy
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Recent Examples of vainglory
On Saturday, on the streets of Washington, Donald Trump will throw himself a costly and ostentatious military parade, a gaudy display of waste and vainglory staged solely to inflate the president’s dirigible-sized ego.
—
Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2025
The conceit is saved from vainglory by the gravity Cage brings to the performance.
—Isaac Butler, The New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2023
That’s the mantra for wide receivers, a group long known for their vainglory.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2023
Cuevas excels at spotlighting vainglory, and there’s plenty to go around here.
—Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 27 July 2023
More likely, the 70-year-old former cricketer’s vainglory and taste for brinkmanship could tip an already turbulent nation into chaos.
—Sadanand Dhume, WSJ, 10 Nov. 2022
The best reason to pursue anarchism, to walk that line between chaos and the man, is that none of us is free from greed or vainglory.
—Alan Jacobs, Harper’s Magazine , 9 Nov. 2022
For all his vainglory, Mitchell was onto something in betting on a race as an aeronautical showcase.
—Michael O’Donnell, WSJ, 18 Nov. 2022
Behind closed doors, people are nervously voicing that the annual grandstanding on stage has shifted too much towards vainglory, rather than progress against staggering challenges.
—Charles Beames, Forbes, 31 Aug. 2021
Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2025
The conceit is saved from vainglory by the gravity Cage brings to the performance.
—Isaac Butler, The New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2023
That’s the mantra for wide receivers, a group long known for their vainglory.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2023
Cuevas excels at spotlighting vainglory, and there’s plenty to go around here.
—Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 27 July 2023
More likely, the 70-year-old former cricketer’s vainglory and taste for brinkmanship could tip an already turbulent nation into chaos.
—Sadanand Dhume, WSJ, 10 Nov. 2022
The best reason to pursue anarchism, to walk that line between chaos and the man, is that none of us is free from greed or vainglory.
—Alan Jacobs, Harper’s Magazine , 9 Nov. 2022
For all his vainglory, Mitchell was onto something in betting on a race as an aeronautical showcase.
—Michael O’Donnell, WSJ, 18 Nov. 2022
Behind closed doors, people are nervously voicing that the annual grandstanding on stage has shifted too much towards vainglory, rather than progress against staggering challenges.
—Charles Beames, Forbes, 31 Aug. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vainglory
Noun
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The Eden's bathroom is placed on the opposite side of the home to the entrance and has a toilet, a vanity sink, and a walk-in shower, plus a little more storage space.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
30 June 2025
-
Lean a framed print against the wall in the center of a wide vanity or on a shelf above the toilet.—
Dina Cheney,
Los Angeles Times,
30 June 2025
Noun
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Our state and federal politicians must insist on order and basic due process in ICE’s performance of its duties, not the chaos and confusion inherent in playing up to Trump’s enormous ego, tiny vocabulary and constantly flip-flopping orders, statements and media posts.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
4 July 2025
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These are the sorts of fantasies that cultivate the delicate, fledgling egos of the inexperienced, giving them enough hope, whether about their good fortune or their capacity to aestheticize bad fortune, to continue into the uncertain future.—
Book Marks
July 3,
Literary Hub,
3 July 2025
Noun
-
Meanwhile, the Pride Month display at the Stonewall National Monument excluded transgender pride flags this year, according to ABC News.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 June 2025
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Tall soldiers, the pride of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century armies—and in the case of Frederick William I of Prussia’s Potsdam Giants, a virtual fetish—became a liability on nineteenth-century battlefields.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
28 June 2025
Noun
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This silliness, the silliness of his arrogance, was actually funny to me.—
Ottessa Moshfegh,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
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On the dark side, however, Mercury in Leo can spark moments of arrogance and stubbornness.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vainglory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vainglory. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.
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