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.
With each stride, I squirmed deeper into the Florsheims’ tapered toes in a vain effort to spare my chafing heels.
From Slate • Jun. 5, 2026
In the long drought since their last trip to the NBA Finals, back in 1999, the Knicks tried in vain to lure the greatest players on the planet to Madison Square Garden.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026
But she’s also vain and doesn’t want to be remembered as wasting away.
From Salon • May 29, 2026
"However, their efforts were in vain because Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill placed her fingers on the scales of justice, thereby denying Murdaugh his right to a fair trial by an impartial jury."
From BBC • May 13, 2026
Pita tugged at her wet shirt, squeezing out the water and pressing it down over her round belly to smooth it out, while Velia and Delia tried in vain to straighten out each other’s clothes.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
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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