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    Vain (en. Vain)

    /vɛ̃/

    Meaning & Definition

    EnglishFrench
    adjective
    Having no practical value.
    His efforts were in vain.
    Ses efforts étaient vains.
    Seeking to boast or show a certain personal pride.
    He has a vain character, always trying to put himself forward.
    Il a un caractère vain, toujours en train de se mettre en avant.
    Without hope of success.
    It was a vain struggle against time.
    C'était une lutte vaine contre le temps.

    Etymology

    From Latin 'vanus', meaning 'empty'.

    Common Phrases and Expressions

    vainly
    In a manner that is useless or unsuccessful.
    vainement
    to have vain aspirations
    To have aspirations that are illusory or impossible.
    avoir des prétentions vaines
    to win a vain battle
    To achieve a victory that has no real impact.
    gagner une bataille vaine

    Related Words

    vain
    A person who has an excessively high opinion of themselves.
    vaniteux
    vanity
    The quality of a person who cares too much about their appearance or what others think of them.
    vanité

    Slang Meanings

    To act clever to hide a lack of competence.
    He acts vain when he tries to talk about topics he doesn't understand.
    Il se la joue vain quand il essaie de parler de sujets qu'il ne comprend pas.
    To seem important without any real foundation.
    She is very vain, always seeking attention without doing anything special.
    Elle est très vain, toujours à la recherche d'attention sans rien faire de spécial.