vain

英 [veɪn]

美 [veɪn]

adj.  徒劳的; 枉然的; 无结果的; 自负的; 自视过高的

最高级：vainest　比较级：vainer　

高考CET4CET6考研IELTSGRETEM4TEM8

Collins.2 / BNC.9731 / COCA.10144

同义词辨析

vainabortivefruitlessineffective【导航词义：未能达到目的的】

习惯用语

adj.

in vain
• 枉费心机；徒劳无益；白费力气
  without success
• They tried in vain to persuade her to go.
  他们极力劝说她去，但枉费了一番口舌。
• All our efforts were in vain.
  我们的所有努力都付诸东流了。
take sb's name in vain
• 滥用…的名义；亵渎…的名字
  to show a lack of respect when using sb's name
• Have you been taking my name in vain again?
  你又在滥用我的名义吧？

牛津词典

adj.

• 徒劳的；枉然的；无结果的
  that does not produce the result you want
  1. She closed her eyes tightly in a vain attempt to hold back the tears.
     她紧闭双眼，却无法忍住眼泪。
  2. I knocked loudly in the vain hope that someone might answer.
     我敲门敲得很响，希望有人应声，却是徒然。
• 自负的；自视过高的
  too proud of your own appearance, abilities or achievements
  1. She's too vain to wear glasses.
     她太爱虚荣，不肯戴眼镜。

柯林斯词典

• ADJ 徒劳的;无效的;不成功的
  Avainattempt or action is one that fails to achieve what was intended.
  1. The drafting committee worked through the night in a vain attempt to finish on schedule...
     起草委员会为按计划完成草案已通宵加班，但结果仍是徒劳。
  2. I was singing in a vain effort to cheer him up.
     我唱歌试图让他高兴起来，结果是白费力气。
• ADJ 徒然的;无望的
  If you describe a hope that something will happen as avainhope, you mean that there is no chance of it happening.
  1. He married his fourth wife, Susan, in the vain hope that she would improve his health.
     他娶了第四个老婆苏珊，徒然希望她能使他健康状况好转。
• ADJ-GRADED 自负的;虚荣的;自命不凡的
  If you describe someone asvain, you are critical of their extreme pride in their own beauty, intelligence, or other good qualities.
  1. I think he is shallow, vain and untrustworthy.
     我认为他浅薄虚荣，不可信任。
• PHRASE 徒劳;白费力气
  If you do somethingin vain, you do not succeed in achieving what you intend.
  1. He stopped at the door, waiting in vain for her to acknowledge his presence...
     他在门口停住，徒然地等待她和自己打招呼。
  2. It became obvious that all her complaints were in vain.
     很明显她所有的抱怨都是白费口舌。
• PHRASE 无用的;无意义的;无价值的
  If you say that something such as someone's death, suffering, or effort wasin vain, you mean that it was useless because it did not achieve anything.
  1. He wants the world to know his son did not die in vain.
     他想让全世界都知道，他的儿子不是白白死去的。

英英释义

adj

• unproductive of success
  1. a fruitless search
  2. futile years after her artistic peak
  3. a sleeveless errand
  4. a vain attempt
  Synonym:bootlessfruitlessfutilesleeveless
• characteristic of false pride
  1. a conceited fool
  2. an attitude of self-conceited arrogance
  3. an egotistical disregard of others
  4. so swollen by victory that he was unfit for normal duty
  5. growing ever more swollen-headed and arbitrary
  6. vain about her clothes
  Synonym:conceitedegotisticegotisticalself-conceitedswollenswollen-headed

双语例句

• Throughout the Twenties, Lardner tried in vain to write a hit song, so at last he turned to parody.
  整个20年代，拉德纳尝试着想要写出一首走红歌曲，可是都失败了，于是最后转向戏仿他人的作品。
• He married his fourth wife, Susan, in the vain hope that she would improve his health.
  他娶了第四个老婆苏珊，徒然希望她能使他健康状况好转。
• Our efforts were not in vain.
  我们没有白忙。
• He's a vain person.
  他的虚荣心很强。
• The drafting committee worked through the night in a vain attempt to finish on schedule
  起草委员会为按计划完成草案已通宵加班，但结果仍是徒劳。
• It was a vain attempt to shift the responsibility for the murder to somebody else
  试图将谋杀的罪责转嫁给他人是徒劳的。
• Isabelle was a frivolous little fool, vain and flighty.
  伊莎贝尔是个轻佻、没头脑的小女人，非常虚荣又反复无常。
• Their hopes were but vain.
  他们的希望只不过是妄想。
• He stopped at the door, waiting in vain for her to acknowledge his presence
  他在门口停住，徒然地等待她和自己打招呼。
• I was singing in a vain effort to cheer him up.
  我唱歌试图让他高兴起来，结果是白费力气。