# in vain

Pronunciation: say "in VAYN" /ɪn ˈveɪn/

## Idiom

1. Without success or result, so that the effort ends in failure.
   - Simple: Without success, so that all the trying does not work.
   - _Rescuers searched in vain for survivors until nightfall._
   - _He waited in vain for a reply that never came._
3. In a disrespectful or insincere way, without honoring the proper meaning of what is said.
   - Simple: Without the respect something deserves, or without really meaning it.
   - _The coach hated hearing his players take God's name in vain on the field._
   - _Many religious families teach their children never to take the Lord's name in vain._

## Idiom

2. Unsuccessful, having failed to bring about what was intended.
   - Simple: Not successful, because it did not work.
   - _The appeal for calm proved in vain as the crowd surged toward the gates._
   - _Months of negotiation were in vain when the deal collapsed at the last minute._

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/in-vain (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).