vanity
nounUK /ˈvænɪti/ · US /ˈvænəti/
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.
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.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Ecclesiastes 2:15–16:
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.1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “A Project”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 224:
- 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 eyes1981, Ashford & Simpson, “It Shows In the Eyes”, in Performance:
1 more example
- 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.2024 November 29, Joshua Stylman, How Engineered Dependency Erases Our Autonomy:
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.2020, Brit Bennett, The Vanishing Half, Dialogue Books, page 148:
4
A washbasin installed into a permanently fixed storage unit, used as an item of bathroom furniture.
5
Obsolete Any 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.1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “(please specify the page, or |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC:
- Synonyms
- arrogance
- Derived terms
- vanity box, vanity card, vanity case, vanity domain, Vanity Fair, vanity height, vanity item, vanity label, vanity license plate, vanity number, vanity plate, vanity press, vanity publisher, vanity publishing, vanity sizing, vanity surgery, vanity table
- Related terms
- vain