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.
She’s so radiant that when Marina dims her wattage in a vain attempt to stay off the radar, we really feel the light in her go out.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2025
Henry Joy McCracken, the leader of the United Irishmen, was brought there by his sister, anti-slavery campaigner Mary Ann McCracken, in a vain attempt to revive him after his public hanging for treason in 1798.
From BBC • Aug. 9, 2024
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
It did not take long to gather my “things”: my hat and an undervest that was drying after a vain attempt to get it clean in the much-used basin water.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
