vain

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柯林斯词典

vain /veɪn/ (vainer,vainest)

1. ADJ A vain attempt or action is one that fails to achieve what was intended. 徒勞的[ADJ n]
The drafting committee worked through the night in a vain attempt to finish on schedule. 起草委員會徒勞地通宵工作想按期完成工作。
2. vainlyADV 徒勞地[ADV with v]
He hunted vainly through his pockets for a piece of paper. 他徒勞地摸索著自己的口袋想找到一張紙。
3. ADJ If you describe a hope that something will happen as a vain hope, you mean that there is no chance of it happening. 徒然的[ADJ n]
He married his fourth wife, Susan, in the vain hope that she would improve his health. 他懷著她能改善自己健康的徒然希望娶了第4個妻子囌珊。
4. vainlyADV 徒然地[ADV with v]
He then set out for Virginia for what he vainly hoped would be a peaceful retirement. 於是他出發前往弗吉尼亞，徒然地希望這會是一次平靜的引退。
5. ADJ If you describe someone as vain, you are critical of their extreme pride in their own beauty, intelligence, or other good qualities. 自負的[表不滿]
He wasn't so vain as to think he was smarter than his boss. 他還沒有自負到以爲他比自己的上司還精明。
6. PHRASE If you do something in vain, you do not succeed in achieving what you intend. 徒然
He stopped at the door, waiting in vain for her to acknowledge his presence. 他停在門口，徒然地等著她跟自己打招呼。
7. PHRASE 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. 無意義的
He wants the world to know his son did not die in vain. 他想讓世人知道他兒子的死不是毫無意義的。