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   Vain

   /vān/

   

   adjective

   • 1. having or showing an excessively high opinion of one's appearance, abilities, or worth: "their flattery made him vain" Similar conceitednarcissisticself-lovingin love with oneselfself-admiringself-regardingwrapped up in oneselfself-absorbedself-obsessedself-centeredegotisticegotisticalegoisticegocentricegomaniacproudhaughtyarrogantboastfulswaggeringimperiousoverweeningcockyaffectedliterary:vaingloriousrare:peacockishhave an excessively high opinion of oneselfthink too highly of oneselfthink a lot of oneselfinformal:think one is the cat's whiskers/pajamasthink one is God's gift (to women)Opposite modest
   • 2. producing no result; useless: "a vain attempt to tidy up the room" Similar futileuselesspointlessworthlessnugatoryto no purposein vainineffectiveineffectualinefficaciousimpotentpowerlessunavailingto no availfruitlessprofitlessunproductiveunsuccessfulfailedwithout successabortivemisfiredthwartedbalkedfrustratedfoiledarchaic:bootlessOpposite successfulproductive
   • ▪ having no meaning or likelihood of fulfillment: "a vain boast"

   Word Origin Middle English (in the sense ‘devoid of real worth’): via Old French from Latin vanus ‘empty, without substance’.

   Derivatives

   • 1. vainness noun

   Scrabble Points: 7

   • V

     4

   • A

     1

   • I

     1

   • N

     1

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