| 单词 | vain |
| 释义 | vain (once / 60 pages) adj If you spend all day admiring yourself in reflective surfaces — mirrors, pools of water, the backs of spoons — people may think you are conceited or vain. If, to your horror, you have searched everywhere for a reflective surface but can't find one, you have made a fruitless or vain search for a mirror. Vain is from Latin vanus "empty," and in English it originally meant "lacking value or effect, futile"; we still say "a vain attempt" using that sense, and the phrase "in vain" means "without success." Normally, though, vain means "conceited, too proud of oneself." Carly Simon's line "You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you" is an excellent illustration of this use. WORD FAMILYvain: vainer, vainest, vainly, vanity+/vanity: vanities USAGE EXAMPLESLuckily, all those terrible holidays weren’t in vain, at least some saw the lighter side: The Guardian(Dec 30, 2016) For decades, she tried in vain to enlist others in her preservation efforts. Los Angeles Times(Dec 29, 2016) There his friends waited anxiously and in vain for him to return. The Guardian(Dec 29, 2016) 1adj characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance vain about her clothes Syn conceited, egotistic, egotistical, self-conceited, swollen, swollen-headed proud feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride 2adj unproductive of success a vain attempt Syn bootless, fruitless, futile, sleeveless unproductive not producing or capable of producing |
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