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be in vain

VERB

fail

Synonyms

STRONGEST

break down decline fall

STRONG

abort backslide blunder deteriorate fizzle flop flounder fold founder miscarry miss slip

WEAK

back wrong horse be defeated be demoted be found lacking be ruined come to naught come to nothing fall flat fall short fall through go astray go down go down swinging go downhill go up in smoke go wrong hit bottom hit the skids lose control lose out lose status meet with disaster miss the boat play into run aground turn out badly

Antonyms

STRONGEST

ascend go up rise

STRONG

accomplish achieve build correct develop do well succeed

WEAK

capture complete deliver earn finish gain merit obtain procure prosper reach win

VERB

miscarry

Synonyms

STRONGEST

abort fall through

STRONG

backslide blunder decline deteriorate fall fizzle flop flounder fold founder misfire miss

WEAK

back wrong horse be defeated be demoted be found lacking be ruined break down come to naught come to nothing fall flat fall short go astray go down go down swinging go downhill go up in smoke go wrong hit bottom hit the skids lose control lose out lose status meet with disaster miss fire miss the boat miss the mark play into run aground turn out badly

Antonyms

STRONG

accomplish achieve ascend build correct develop do well go up improve rise succeed

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But Harper's salvo proved to be in vain as Venezuela regained the lead in the ninth inning, punishing a shaky performance from US reliever Garrett Whitlock to clinch victory.

From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026

She added that it was "very hard to sleep or eat. But we’re hanging in there," driven by hope that "the sacrifice of Iranians" will not be in vain.

From Barron's • Jan. 20, 2026

Those efforts could be in vain if Haiti’s local economy is pulverized, making recovery efforts more challenging.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 1, 2025

Pritchard also saw an effort crash off the crossbar as Sunderland threw everything at their rivals in the hope of finding a route back into the encounter, but their efforts proved to be in vain.

From BBC • Jan. 6, 2024

“Kudirat’s death will not be in vain, it will only galvanize the democratic movement in a way that even her life did not! I just wrote an article about this issue online in Nigerian Village.”

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

be in vain

Example Sentences

Related Words