Result from Foreign Dictionaries (4 entries found)

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Vain \Vain\ (v[=a]n), a. [Compar. {Vainer}; superl. {Vainest}.] [F. vain, L. vanus empty, void, vain. Cf. {Vanish}, {Vanity}, {Vaunt} to boast.] 1. Having no real substance, value, or importance; empty; void; worthless; unsatisfying. "Thy vain excuse." --Shak. [1913 Webster] Every man walketh in a vain show. --Ps. xxxix. 6. [1913 Webster] Let no man deceive you with vain words. --Eph. v. 6. [1913 Webster] Vain pomp, and glory of this world, I hate ye! --Shak. [1913 Webster] Vain wisdom all, and false philosophy. --Milton. [1913 Webster] 2. Destitute of force or efficacy; effecting no purpose; fruitless; ineffectual; as, vain toil; a vain attempt. [1913 Webster] Bring no more vain oblations. --Isa. i. 13. [1913 Webster] Vain is the force of man To crush the pillars which the pile sustain. --Dryden. [1913 Webster] 3. Proud of petty things, or of trifling attainments; having a high opinion of one's own accomplishments with slight reason; conceited; puffed up; inflated. [1913 Webster] But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith apart from works is barren? --James ii. 20 (Rev. Ver.). [1913 Webster] The minstrels played on every side, Vain of their art. --Dryden. [1913 Webster] 4. Showy; ostentatious. [1913 Webster] Load some vain church with old theatric state. --Pope. [1913 Webster] Syn: Empty; worthless; fruitless; ineffectual; idle; unreal; shadowy; showy; ostentatious; light; inconstant; deceitful; delusive; unimportant; trifling. [1913 Webster] From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Vain \Vain\, n. Vanity; emptiness; -- now used only in the phrase {in vain}. [1913 Webster] {For vain}. See {In vain}. [Obs.] --Shak. {In vain}, to no purpose; without effect; ineffectually. " In vain doth valor bleed." --Milton. " In vain they do worship me." --Matt. xv. 9. {To take the name of God in vain}, to use the name of God with levity or profaneness. [1913 Webster] From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: vain adj 1: characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance; "a conceited fool"; "an attitude of self-conceited arrogance"; "an egotistical disregard of others"; "so swollen by victory that he was unfit for normal duty"; "growing ever more swollen-headed and arbitrary"; "vain about her clothes" [syn: {conceited}, {egotistic}, {egotistical}, {self- conceited}, {swollen}, {swollen-headed}, {vain}] 2: unproductive of success; "a fruitless search"; "futile years after her artistic peak"; "a sleeveless errand"; "a vain attempt" [syn: {bootless}, {fruitless}, {futile}, {sleeveless}, {vain}] From French-English FreeDict Dictionary ver. 0.3.4 [fd-fra-eng]: vain /vɛ̃/ abortive; futile; useless; vain