in vain

in vain adverb: without success or a result; ending in failure.

Adverb

in vain (comparative more in vain, superlative most in vain)

(idiomatic) Without success or a result; ending in failure.
- […]that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain[…]1863 November 19, Abraham Lincoln, Dedicatory Remarks (Gettysburg Address)^(https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Gettysburg_Address_(Bliss_copy)), near Soldiers' National Cemetery, →LCCN, Bliss copy, page 2
- 19th c., Friedrich Nietzsche
  On the mountains of truth you can never climb in vain.
(idiomatic) In a disrespectful manner, without honoring the proper meaning; insincerely or without proper respect.
- Thou ſhalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vaine:[…]1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus 20:7, column 2
- Methinks I see him even now in my mind's eye;— the firm and upright figure,— the step, quick and determined, — the eye, which shot so keen and so penetrating a glance,— the features on which care had already planted wrinkles, and hear his language, in which he never wasted word in vain, expressed...1817, Sir Walter Scott, Rob Roy, published 2015, page 4
Synonyms:

vainly

in vain (comparative more in vain, superlative most in vain)

(idiomatic) Unsuccessful, failed.
- Their efforts were in vain and he succumbed to his injuries.
- The problems concerning contrast induced hyperemia and the in vain efforts to search for a contrast agent not influencing flow […]2012, N.H. Pijls, Maximal Myocardial Perfusion as a Measure of the Functional Significance of Coronary Artery Disease

பயனற்ற, தோல்வியில் முடியும், மரியாதைக் குறைவாக

اکارت, بےبنیاد, بےفائدہ, بےحقیقت, بیکار, فضول

More languagesFewer languages

For some time Grannie tried in vain to comfort her.1956 [1880], Johanna Spyri, Heidi, translation of original by Eileen Hall, page 46:
All these great plans were in vain, however, for in the cold dawn following the "Mania" years of 1845–46 the M.B.M. & M.J.R. project was truncated to an 11+¹⁄₂-mile line from Ambergate to Rowsley.1960 March, J. P. Wilson, E. N. C. Haywood, “The route through the Peak: Derby to Manchester. Part One”, in Trains Illustrated, page 149:
A fetishist regime attempts to annul the separation of image and spectator, to reinstall an immediate relation that promises (in vain) to provide satisfaction to desire itself.2013, Mandy Merck, The Sexual Subject: Screen Reader in Sexuality:
This petition is the reverse side of the commandment against taking God's name in vain.2015, Kent Gramm, The Prayer of Jesus: A Reading of the Lord’s Prayer, page 69:

What does in vain mean?: In vain means without success or a result; ending in failure.
What is in vain in Tamil?: In vain in Tamil is பயனற்ற, தோல்வியில் முடியும், மரியாதைக் குறைவாக. See In vain meaning in Tamil.
How do you use in vain in a sentence?: For some time Grannie tried in vain to comfort her.
What part of speech is in vain?: In vain can be an adverb or an adjective.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: En-au-in vain.ogg.

Cite this entry: “in vain.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/in_vain. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.