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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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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
Cuevas excels at spotlighting vainglory, and there’s plenty to go around here.
—Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 27 July 2023
For all his vainglory, Mitchell was onto something in betting on a race as an aeronautical showcase.
—Michael O’Donnell, WSJ, 18 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
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
Cuevas excels at spotlighting vainglory, and there’s plenty to go around here.
—Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 27 July 2023
For all his vainglory, Mitchell was onto something in betting on a race as an aeronautical showcase.
—Michael O’Donnell, WSJ, 18 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
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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On the surface, vanity PR may look good.—
Jenna Guarneri,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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The report suggests there could also be other operating issues with the vehicle's DC/AC inverter, glove box light, vanity lights, dome lamps, alarm portion of the horn, rear defrost, or the USB charger.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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There are moments, of course, especially with characters like Ken (Tim Key), a middle manager with an outsized ego who routinely makes a mess of things, but tonally this is a very different show than its predecessor.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Children being raised in different homes can still have positive outcomes if both parents are willing to put their egos aside and do the self-work needed to show up as the healthy adults their kids deserve.—
Essence,
Essence,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In a sloppy game, the Eagles will take pride in the turnover differential — the Eagles forced one and did not turn the ball over.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
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They’re all held back by different things – pride, fear, shame – but all of them, in one way or another, are eventually set free by the truth.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This arrogance is not just limited to tech titans.—
Christian Josi,
Boston Herald,
31 Aug. 2025
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These traits do not always show up as arrogance.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
28 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vainglory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vainglory. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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