Dictionary

vanity en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈvænɪti/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈvænəti/ (General-American)
• [-ɾi] (General-American)
• (General-American) audio
• (Received-Pronunciation) audio

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.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) 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. (countable, uncountable) Excessive pride in or admiration of one's own abilities, appearance, achievements, or possessions.
   • 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:
   • 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 eyes 1981, Ashford & Simpson, “It Shows In the Eyes”, in Performance:
   • It's not vanity, to me, it's my sanity 1979, Nile Rodgers, Bernard Edwards, “Lost in Music”, performed by Sister Sledge:
3. (countable, uncountable) 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. (countable, uncountable) A washbasin installed into a permanently fixed storage unit, used as an item of bathroom furniture.
5. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) 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:

Forms

Deriveds

vanity number · vanity surfing · vanity publisher · vanity case · vanityless · vanity surgery · vanity plate · vanity sizing · vanity card · vanitize · vanity license plate · vanity table · vanity publishing · Vanity Fair · vanity press · vanity domain · vanity height · vanity label · vanity box · vanity item

Relateds

vain

Synonyms

arrogance

Translations (145)

lv uzpūtība (excessive pride) · cs ješitnost (excessive pride) · sk samoľúbosť (excessive pride) · de Eitelkeit (excessive pride) · es vanidad (that which is vain) · cy oferedd (excessive pride) · az qürur (excessive pride) · sh високоумље (excessive pride) · pl próżność (that which is vain) · sq kotësi (that which is vain) · tg ғурӯр (excessive pride) · bg тщесла́вие (excessive pride) · fr vanité (that which is vain) · et tühisus (emptiness) · hu önteltség (excessive pride) · lad envanesyimento (excessive pride) · uk ма́рність (that which is vain) · hi ग़ुरूर (excessive pride) · gl vaidade (that which is vain) · uk марносла́вство (excessive pride) · es palanganero (bathroom furniture) · es ínfulas (excessive pride) · he יָהֳרָה \ יוהרה (excessive pride) · ko 허영심 (excessive pride) · hi घमंड (excessive pride) · vi tính hư ảo (excessive pride) · de Leere (emptiness) · ka ამაოება (excessive pride) · mk суета (excessive pride) · mi whakatāupetanga (excessive pride) · sh visokoumlje (excessive pride) · fi turhamaisuus (excessive pride) · cs nicotnost (that which is vain) · ur عُجْب (excessive pride) · km អភិមាន (excessive pride) · hu hiúság (excessive pride) · ru тщета́ (that which is vain) · lad vanidad (excessive pride) · cs malichernost (that which is vain) · gd dìomhanas (excessive pride) · vi cái hư ảo (excessive pride) · ur گَھمَنْڈ (excessive pride) · ky менменсингендик (excessive pride) · ur غُرُور (excessive pride) · kk атаққұмарлық (excessive pride) · sh су̀јета (excessive pride) · cs jalovost (emptiness) · ja 虚栄心 (excessive pride) · be славалю́бства (excessive pride) · eo fiero (excessive pride) · nb forfengelighet (excessive pride) · pl próżność (excessive pride) · sh sùjeta (excessive pride) · sv fåfänga (excessive pride) · cmn 虛榮心 /虚荣心 (excessive pride) · th ความหยิ่ง (excessive pride) · pl marność (that which is vain) · ka სიცარიელე (emptiness) · sh славољубље (excessive pride) · fi peilipöytä (emptiness) · tr gurur (excessive pride) · gl vaidade (excessive pride) · be ма́рнасць (that which is vain) · cs marnivost (excessive pride) · el ματαιοδοξία (excessive pride) · ru тщесла́вие (excessive pride) · pt vazio (emptiness) · pt vaidade (excessive pride) · id angkuh (excessive pride) · sk márnosť (that which is vain) · fa عُجْب (excessive pride) · km តុច្ចភាព (excessive pride) · gd faoineas (excessive pride) · ar غُرُور (excessive pride) · sk márnivosť (excessive pride) · az qürrə (excessive pride) · et edevus (excessive pride) · mi whakatāupetanga (that which is vain) · ms kesombongan (excessive pride) · ro mândrie (excessive pride) · de Vergänglichkeit (that which is vain) · eo vanteco (excessive pride) · uz shuhratparastlik (excessive pride) · he הֶבֶל (that which is vain) · ro vanitate (excessive pride) · sk domýšľavosť (excessive pride) · pt vaidade (that which is vain) · nl ijdelheid (excessive pride) · tg шӯҳратпарастӣ (excessive pride) · ru суета́ (excessive pride) · uz manmanlik (excessive pride) · ast vanidá (excessive pride) · uk марнолю́бство (excessive pride) · bg суета́ (excessive pride) · uz gʻurur (excessive pride) · cy gwagedd (excessive pride) · fr vanité (excessive pride) · ru бесполе́зность (that which is vain) · lv patmīlība (excessive pride) · es zafero (bathroom furniture) · hu haszontalanság (that which is vain) · it vanità (excessive pride) · ga díomhaointeas (that which is vain) · th ทิฐิ (excessive pride) · ru тще́тность (that which is vain) · sl domišljavost (excessive pride) · lt tuštybė (excessive pride) · hy ունայնություն (excessive pride) · pl próżność (emptiness) · af ydelheid (excessive pride) · ja 虚栄 (excessive pride) · da forfængelighed (excessive pride) · sc vanidàde (excessive pride) · sh slavoljublje (excessive pride) · ml പൊങ്ങച്ചം (excessive pride) · eo memamo (excessive pride) · fi turhuus (that which is vain) · pt lavatório (bathroom furniture) · cs domýšlivost (excessive pride) · cmn 虛榮 /虚荣 (excessive pride) · ko 허영 (excessive pride) · sv fåfänglighet (excessive pride) · cs samolibost (excessive pride) · cs marnost (that which is vain) · es lavatorio (bathroom furniture) · ro îngâmfare (excessive pride) · hu üresség (emptiness) · sl ničevost (that which is vain) · lv iedomība (excessive pride) · hu hiábavalóság (that which is vain) · grc ματαιότης (that which is vain) · la vānitās (excessive pride) · fa غُرور (excessive pride) · lv augstprātība (excessive pride) · hy սնափառություն (excessive pride) · gd uaill (excessive pride) · hy ունայնություն (emptiness) · ga uaill (excessive pride) · es vanidad (excessive pride) · ka პატივმოყვარეობა (excessive pride) · th มาน (excessive pride) · bcl kauragan (that which is vain) · bcl kauragan (excessive pride) · et mõttetus (that which is vain) · ca vanitat (excessive pride)