adj.(形容词)

1. 自负的，自视过高的，自高自大的
2. 徒然的，徒劳的，无结果的，枉然的
3. 无益的
4. 爱虚荣的
5. 炫耀的
6. 空虚的
7. 无意义的，无价值的
8. 无效的，没效果的
9. 愚蠢的

n.(名词)

1. 未用空间

adj.(形容词)

1. 自负的; 爱慕虚荣的 thinking too highly of one's appearance, abilities, etc.; conceited
2. 徒劳的,无用的,无效的 useless or futile

Adjective:

1. characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance;

   "a conceited fool"
   "an attitude of self-conceited arrogance"
   "an egotistical disregard of others"
   "so swollen by victory that he was unfit for normal duty"
   "growing ever more swollen-headed and arbitrary"
   "vain about her clothes"
   

2. unproductive of success;

   "a fruitless search"
   "futile years after her artistic peak"
   "a sleeveless errand"
   "a vain attempt"
   

1.徒劳的;无效的;不成功的
Avain attempt or action is one that fails to achieve what was intended.

vain什么意思

e.g. The drafting committee worked through the night in avain 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。
e.g. I was singing in avain effort to cheer him up.
我唱歌试图让他高兴起来，结果是白费力气。

vainly
He hunted vainly through his pockets for a piece of paper.
他翻遍口袋想找一张纸，结果没找到。

2.徒然的;无望的
If you describe a hope that something will happen as avain hope, you mean that there is no chance of it happening.

e.g. He married his fourth wife, Susan, in thevain 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。

vainly
He then set out for Virginia for what he vainly hoped would be a peaceful retirement.
于是他动身前往弗吉尼亚，幻想能够平静引退。

3.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.

e.g. I think he is shallow,vain and untrustworthy.
我认为他浅薄虚荣，不可信任。

4.徒劳;白费力气
If you do somethingin vain, you do not succeed in achieving what you intend.

e.g. He stopped at the door, waiting invain for her to acknowledge his presence...
他在门口停住，徒然地等待她和自己打招呼。
e.g. It became obvious that all her complaints were invain.
很明显她所有的抱怨都是白费口舌。

5.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.

e.g. He wants the world to know his son did not die invain.
他想让全世界都知道，他的儿子不是白白死去的。

1. 无用的,虚荣的：familial 家庭的 |vain 无用的,虚荣的 | vein 面纱; 掩饰

2. 徒劳的：vague 含糊的 |vain 徒劳的 | valid 有根据的

3. 徒然的：vail n小费 |vain 徒然的 |vainglorious 虚荣的

4.vain：vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia; 阴道鳞状上皮内肿瘤

She is vain and foolish, and yet people like her.

她自负而愚蠢，然而人们喜欢她。

She is vain of her voice.

她自以为她的声音了不起。

They endeavoured to make her happy but in vain.

他们尽量使她快乐，却徒劳无功。

All his father's exhortations were in vain.

他父亲的一切劝告都无效。

We tried in vain to make him change his mind.

我们想使他改变主意，结果是白费心机。

The world had made him extravagant and vain.

世俗使他变得放荡不羁，虚荣自负。

She is so vain that she can't pass a mirror without looking into it.

她好爱虚荣,每经过一面镜子都要照一下。

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。

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。

She's too vain to wear glasses.

她太爱虚荣，不肯戴眼镜。

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。

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。

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。

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。

I think he is shallow, vain and untrustworthy.

我认为他浅薄虚荣，不可信任。

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。

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。

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。

As he stood there, the sun went behind the clouds, leaving the room gloomy.

此时太阳光忽然躲起来了, 厢房里便显得很阴暗.

They attempted in vain to modernise these antiquated industries.

他们企图使这些陈旧的工业现代化,结果劳而无功.

It is vain to resist.

抵抗是没用的.

He is vain of his speech.

他对自己的发言很得意.

Their blood was not shed in vain.

他们的血没有白流.

The principal made another vain appeal for better equipment in the school laboratory.

校长又一次请求增加学校实验设备,但又是一场空.

He made a vain attempt to reach the drowning child.

他试图接近那个快淹死的小孩,但没有成功.

In making that plea he will breathe in vain.

他做那种恳求是白费口舌的.

He's very vain of his abilities.

他对于自己的能力很自负.

All his efforts were in vain.

他的一切努力都归无效.

He could not bring himself to like the boastful, vain Arabella.

他无法让自己喜欢爱夸耀的 、 虚荣的阿拉贝拉.

I don't like a vain woman.

我讨厌爱慕虚荣的女人.

In the eye of the Buddhist, every worldly affair is vain.

在佛教徒的眼里, 人世上一切事情都是空的.

I read his article again and again, trying hard to understand what he was driving at but in vain.

我把他的文章读了一遍又一遍, 但对他的意图仍百思不解.

He was so vain and reckless that he would break a friendship, rather than not break a jest.

他是如此虚荣狂妄,宁可和人翻脸, 有笑话却不能不说.

Who's been taking my name in vain? I don't hold such an opinion.

谁在滥用我的名义? 我不赞成这个建议.

We searched in vain for the missing child.

我们到处寻找那孩子,但没有找到.

用作定语～+ n.

1. She is one of those vain people who never take others' advice.
   她属于那种自负得从不听别人劝告的人。
2. I don't like a vain woman.
   我讨厌爱慕虚荣的女人。
3. He made a vain attempt to reach the drowning child.
   他试图接近那个快淹死的小孩,但没有成功。

用作表语S+be+～

1. All my efforts were vain.
   我的一切努力都白费了。

S+be+～+ prep .-phrase

1. He's very vain of his abilities.
   他对于自己的能力很自负。

It is/was+～+to- v

1. It is vain to resist.
   抵抗是没用的。

用作宾语补足语S+V+O+～

1. Too much praise can make a man vain.
   过度的赞扬会使人自负。

in vain

无效果的,无用的fruitless or uselessIt was in vain that we tried to find his mother.我们百般设法找他的母亲,但毫无结果。

～+介词

• vain%20about%E3%80%94of%E3%80%95">be vain about〔of〕为…而自负

• All literature, art, and science are vain..if they do not enable you to be glad.

  出自：J. Ruskin

• It is..vain to try to be other than we are.

  出自：D. M. Frame

• The vain attempts of feminist critics to prove there is a..'women's language'.

  出自：New York Review of Books

• ☆ 直接源自古法语的vain，意为没有价值的；最初源自拉丁语的vanus，意为空着的。