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.
After Megxit, Harry and Meghan tried in vain to get a best-of-both-worlds setup, pitching to continue to represent the monarchy while also chasing commercial interests.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026
At the Civilian Protection Center of Excellence, the staff tried in vain to save the program.
From Salon • Mar. 11, 2026
The last few hours were all in vain.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026
The Pentagon has since tried in vain to demote his military rank and a grand jury have declined to charge him with seditious conspiracy.
From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026
Nothing grew; no seed sprang up; in vain the oxen drew the plowshare through the furrows.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
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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