vain
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.
The Rays say the answer to their problems is a new stadium, and they have been trying in vain to turn that dream into a reality for 20 years.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
Playing a childless, vain, pitch-perfect vision of Los Angeles’ wickedness in “Maps to the Stars,” Julianne Moore mothered so hard she almost separated California right down the San Andreas fault line.
From Salon • May 10, 2026
President Claudia Sheinbaum even tried in vain to arrange more concerts.
From Barron's • May 5, 2026
We know that Musk can be vain and vindictive.
From Slate • Apr. 30, 2026
I tried in vain to hear whether Mrs. Maroney was disclosing her secrets about her own wayward husband.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
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Vocabulary lists containing vain
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act I
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Abraham Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address" (1863)
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