vain attempt
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.
True, throwing a lot in a vain attempt to make a game of it in a 37-3 loss at Baltimore influenced that number.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 16, 2023
Wertz called several draft-age men in a vain attempt to prove the speech discouraged registration.
From Washington Post • Apr. 1, 2023
In a vain attempt to lighten the mood after a commercial break, comedian Amy Schumer joked that "the vibe had changed" and seemed to acknowledge that Rock wasn't the only one reeling.
From BBC • Mar. 28, 2022
When their dogs realize they are being left behind, they “set up a dismal howl,” leaping into the icy waters of the Mississippi in a vain attempt to follow.
From New York Times • Apr. 5, 2021
Before her stretched a vast treeless waste, where heather and dwarf willow hugged the ground in a vain attempt to avoid the wind; where small peat-brown lakes shivered amid tossing marsh grass.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
