[ADJ 形容词]徒劳的;无效的;不成功的 A vain attempt or action is one that fails to achieve what was intended.
[ADJ n]
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。
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
[ADJ 形容词]徒然的;无望的 If you describe a hope that something will happen as a vain hope, you mean that there is no chance of it happening.
[ADJ n]
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。
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
[ADJ-GRADED 能被表示程度的副词或介词词组修饰的形容词]自负的;虚荣的;自命不凡的 If you describe someone as vain, you are critical of their extreme pride in their own beauty, intelligence, or other good qualities.
[disapproval]
I think he is shallow, vain and untrustworthy.
我认为他浅薄虚荣,不可信任。
4
[PHRASE 短语]徒劳;白费力气 If you do something in vain, you do not succeed in achieving what you intend.
[PHR after v]
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。
5
[PHRASE 短语]无用的;无意义的;无价值的 If you say that something such as someone's death, suffering, or effort was in vain, you mean that it was useless because it did not achieve anything.
[PHR after v]
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。
Oxford
vain/veɪn; NAmEveɪn/adjective1that does not produce the result you want 徒劳的;枉然的;无结果的SYN
useless
◆She closed her eyes tightly in a vain attemptto hold back the tears. 她紧闭双眼,却无法忍住眼泪。◆I knocked loudly in the vain hopethat someone might answer. 我敲门敲得很响,希望有人应声,却是徒然。2( disapproving) too proud of your own appearance, abilities or achievements 自负的;自视过高的SYN
conceited
◆She's too vain to wear glasses.她太爱虚荣,不肯戴眼镜。☞see also
vanity
(1 )IDIOMin ˈvainwithout success 枉费心机;徒劳无益;白费力气◆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。☞more at
name
n.vainvainervainestvain/veɪn; NAmEveɪn/
LDC
vainvain /veɪn/ ●○○ adjective
Word Origin
Examples
Thesaurus
Collocations
Phrases
1someone who is vain is too proud of their good looks, abilities, or position – used to show disapprovalSYN conceited: Men can be just as vain as women.► see thesaurus at
proud
2in vaina)without success in spite of your efforts: Police searched in vain for the missing gunman.b)without purpose or without positive results: Altman swore that his son’s death would not be in vain. → take somebody’s name in vain
at name1(12)
3a vain attempt, hope, or search fails to achieve the result you wantedvain attempt/effort/bid The young mother died in a vain attempt to save her drowning son.4vain threat/promise etc literary a threat, promise etc that is not worrying because the person cannot do what they say they will—vainly adverb: The instructor struggled vainly to open his parachute.COLLOCATIONS– Meaning 3nounsa vain attempt/bid/effort· People close their windows at night in a vain attempt to shut out the sound of gunfire.a vain hope· Young men moved south in the vain hope of finding work.a vain search· Mothers have been to every shop in town in a vain search for the toy.
open
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