vanity
UK /ˈvænɪti/ · US /ˈvænəti/ noun, proper noun
Forms vanities
- noun That which is vain, futile, or worthless; that which is of no value, use or profit.
- noun Excessive pride in or admiration of one's own abilities, appearance, achievements, or possessions.
- noun A dressing table used to apply makeup, preen, and coif hair, in which the table is normally quite low and similar to a desk.
- noun A washbasin installed into a permanently fixed storage unit, used as an item of bathroom furniture.
- noun (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.”
- proper noun A female given name.
Synonyms
arrogance amour propre conceit self-love emptiness conceitedness dressing table dresser toilet table
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.
From vanity.
Webster’s 1913
- noun The quality or state of being vain; want of substance to satisfy desire; emptiness; unsubstantialness; unrealness; falsity.
- noun An inflation of mind upon slight grounds; empty pride inspired by an overweening conceit of one's personal attainments or decorations; an excessive desire for notice or approval; pride; ostentation; conceit.
Etymology [OE. vanite, vanité, L. vanitas, fr. vanus empty, vain. See Vain.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “vanity”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details