1
as in smug
having too high an opinion of oneself
a man so vain that he spent hours admiring himself in the mirror
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in futile
producing no results
all their efforts to escape proved vain
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in worthless
having no usefulness
having tired of the vain pleasures of life in the fast lane, he returned to the small town he had grown up in
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of vain
The former Iranian diplomat Hossein Mousavian once scolded Americans for failing to realize that his people are prideful and vain, and that negotiations meant to humiliate and insult them won’t get far.
—
Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026
This was in vain, as after falling on a safety squeeze, Miner hit a line drive down the left line to add an insurance run and go up 4-1.
—Tony Gleason, Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026
Baritone Aleksey Bogdanov is a scene-stealing delight as the vain bullfighter Escamillo.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
But where Grosz targets only the vain and prosperous, Lapid puts his struggling bohemians at the heart of corruption.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for vain
Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026
This was in vain, as after falling on a safety squeeze, Miner hit a line drive down the left line to add an insurance run and go up 4-1.
—Tony Gleason, Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026
Baritone Aleksey Bogdanov is a scene-stealing delight as the vain bullfighter Escamillo.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
But where Grosz targets only the vain and prosperous, Lapid puts his struggling bohemians at the heart of corruption.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for vain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vain
Adjective
-
The test case—picturing a cow doing ballet—produces a smug bovine pirouetting.—
Elise Broach,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
My math teachers of old are very smug somewhere.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But although resistance is similarly futile, their goals are less about assimilation than worshipping the obsessive Grant's wife, Starla (Elizabeth Banks).—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
1 May 2026
-
His father was a schoolteacher and a member of the Nazi Party; Baselitz, who was seven at the cessation of World War II, would later recall the smoke rising from firebombed Dresden as his mother hurried her children through the city in a futile attempt to escape the Russians.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
Loyalty points may be worthless Clint Henderson, a travel expert with The Points Guy, said many Spirit Airlines customers could see the value of their loyalty points vanish, with little chance of recovering them.—
Mirna Alsharif,
NBC news,
2 May 2026
-
While the players who spent thousands of dollars on Legacy land plots still technically control the associated NFTs, those crypto tokens are practically worthless without an active game to monetize them.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Warnings, laments, and odes to renewal were expressed pictorially as dying days under bleeding heavens, belching volcanoes, proud icebergs, lavish rainbows amid spangling, mist-suffusing sunlight and dawns of peace and hope.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Simulation Academy at Yale is proud to announce the Graduation of approximately 75 students on Saturday, May 2.—
Simulation Academy at Yale,
Hartford Courant,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
Golden State Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob said his unsuccessful bid to buy the San Diego Padres assumed that the entire 2027 MLB season would likely be lost due to labor strife.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
6 May 2026
-
The assailant stabbed the pope with a bayonet, but the assassination attempt was unsuccessful.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
It’s been maddening to watch a lineup full of high-end hitters come up empty night after night in April, a month that has felt as long as about three.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
-
After sitting empty since Sting and Styler moved out, per the New York Post, the stylish spread has just returned to the market for $45 million, a whopping $5 million less than the current owner paid.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The series has devolved into a hysteria that the young and arrogant Timberwolves feed on since that first quarter of Game 2.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
-
However, many thought Tilson Thomas too brash and arrogant to lead an orchestra, and, around the same time, Tilson Thomas fell in with New York’s disco-hopping crowd.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
From certain side sections, the rear screen was nearly useless.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Technically impressive, yes—but scientifically and commercially useless.—
Magnus Resch,
ARTnews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vain. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
