adjective
vain
Producing no useful or desired result.
She searches every drawer in a vain attempt to find her keys.
Etymology
The Latin adjective means empty or insubstantial. Effort made in vain is figuratively empty of the hoped-for result.
More examples
- We waited in vain for an apology.
- He made a vain effort to save the dying plant.
- All our attempts to restart the engine proved vain.
Forms
vain · vainer · vainest
vainly adverb — Without achieving the intended or desired result.
Similar words
- futile
- Stresses that an effort cannot achieve its intended purpose.
- fruitless
- Emphasizes that an effort produces no useful outcome.
- unsuccessful
- Describes failure without necessarily suggesting the effort was pointless.