vanity
nouncommon in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ˈvænɪti//
- United States//ˈvænəti//
- United States/[-ɾi]/
That which is vain, futile, or worthless; that which is of no value, use or profit.
noun
- 1
That which is vain, futile, or worthless; that which is of no value, use or profit.
Then I said in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me and why then was I more wise? Then I said in my heart that this is also vanity. / For there is no more remembrance of the wise than the fool forever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.
- 2
Excessive pride in or admiration of one's own abilities, appearance, achievements, or possessions.
To make a man in love with you gives an instant hold on his vanity; and with that, you can do any thing. Vanity is the real lever with which Archimedes said he could move the earth; so, try what you can effect with Sir Robert.
It's not vanity, to me, it's my sanity
Try to second guess what people see / All the time it's just your vanity / No one's impressed and you wonder why / Well it is, it shows in the eyes
Social media hasn’t just weaponized our vanity—it’s transformed us from humans into curated digital performances. Our phones have become portable propaganda machines for our personal brands.
- 3
A dressing table used to apply makeup, preen, and coif hair, in which the table is normally quite low and similar to a desk.
She was sitting in front of her vanity, brushing out her hair.
- 4
A washbasin installed into a permanently fixed storage unit, used as an item of bathroom furniture.
- 5
obsoleteAny idea, theory or statement that is without foundation.
It is a vanity to say that if two stones are dropped from a tower, the heavier will experience the greater acceleration.
To help the matter, the alchemists call in likewise many vanities out of astrology.
Etymology
From va(i)n + -ity, from Middle English vanite, from Old French vanité, from Latin vānitas, from vānus, whence English vain. Doublet of vanitas.
Forms
- plural
- vanities
vanity · That which is vain, futile, or worthless; that which is of no value, use or profit.
Vanity · A female given name.vanquish · To defeat (someone); to overcome.Vargas · A surname from Spanish.