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Meaning of Vanity | Babel Free

Noun CEFR B1
ˈvænɪti

Definitions

  1. That which is vain, futile, or worthless; that which is of no value, use or profit.
    countable, uncountable
  2. A female given name.
  3. Excessive pride in or admiration of one's own abilities, appearance, achievements, or possessions.
    countable, uncountable
  4. A dressing table used to apply makeup, preen, and coif hair, in which the table is normally quite low and similar to a desk.
    countable, uncountable
  5. A washbasin installed into a permanently fixed storage unit, used as an item of bathroom furniture.
    countable, uncountable
  6. Any idea, theory or statement that is without foundation.
    countable, obsolete, uncountable

Equivalents

Azərbaycanca qürur
Български суета
Català vanitat
Cymraeg gwagedd oferedd
Esperanto fiero memamo
فارسی عجب غرور
Français vanité vanity
Gàidhlig uaill
Galego vaidade
Bahasa Indonesia angkuh
Italiano vanità
日本語 自惚れ 虚栄 虚栄心 見栄
한국어 공허 자만 허영 허영심
Latina vanitas
Македонски суета
മലയാളം പൊങ്ങച്ചം
Nederlands ijdelheid
Português lavatório vaidade vazio
Türkçe gurur

Examples

“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“She was sitting in front of her vanity, brushing out her hair.”
“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.”
“But alumni and choir volunteer Vanity Brown says when they returned, Ms. Stevenson was told she wouldn't be allowed in the classroom for at least 120 days.”
“Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) 3rd Class Vanity Johnson polishes safety light covers aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71).”
“Vanity is one of the hardest working and most reliable caregivers we have ever had.”

CEFR level

B1
Intermediate
This word is part of the CEFR B1 vocabulary — intermediate level.
See all B1 English words →

See also

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