Idiom: in vain
Meaning
Idiom: in vain
- without success
- in a way that has no meaning or purpose
Example sentences
— I rushed to the airport to catch my flight but arrived in vain as the flight was canceled.
— I tried to please my manager by completing my work ahead of schedule but my efforts were in vain—he didn’t even notice.
— There was no chance for the mother to rescue her kids from the inferno, so she went into the burning house in vain.
— Most people want to die knowing their lives weren't lived in vain.
— If you apply for that job it will be in vain since they've already decided to give the position to Keith.
— All of our Facebook ad campaigns have been in vain, so we're going to return to traditional marketing.
— Our efforts to console my cousin after her rabbit died were in vain and she cried the entire weekend.
— I argued for a raise in vain and finally decided to quit.
— You're studying for the test in vain. A huge snow storm is coming in and they already canceled classes for the next two days so the test won't be until next week.
Synonyms
- be of no use
- to no avail
- to no effect
- to no purpose
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