vanity

van·i·ty  (vn-t)

n. pl. van·i·ties

1. The quality or condition of being vain.

2. Excessive pride in one's appearance or accomplishments; conceit. See Synonyms at conceit.

3. Lack of usefulness, worth, or effect; worthlessness.

4.

a. Something that is vain, futile, or worthless.

b. Something about which one is vain or conceited.

5. A vanity case.

6. See dressing table.

7. A bathroom cabinet that encloses a basin and its water lines and drain, usually furnished with shelves and drawers underneath for storage of toiletries.

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[Middle English vanite, from Old French, from Latin vnits, from vnus, empty; see eu- in Indo-European roots.]

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vanity [ˈvænɪtɪ]

n pl -ties

1. the state or quality of being vain; excessive pride or conceit

2. ostentation occasioned by ambition or pride

3. an instance of being vain or something about which one is vain

4. the state or quality of being valueless, futile, or unreal

5. something that is worthless or useless

6. (Fine Arts & Visual Arts / Furniture) NZ short for vanity unit

[from Old French vanité, from Latin vānitās emptiness, from vānus empty]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	vanity - feelings of excessive pride           amour propre, conceit, self-love pride, pridefulness - a feeling of self-respect and personal worth
	2.	vanity - the quality of being valueless or futile; "he rejected the vanities of the world" emptiness worthlessness, ineptitude - having no qualities that would render it valuable or useful; "the drill sergeant's intent was to convince all the recruits of their worthlessness"
	3.	vanity - the trait of being unduly vain and conceited; false pride conceitedness, conceit trait - a distinguishing feature of your personal nature narcism, narcissism, self-love - an exceptional interest in and admiration for yourself; "self-love that shut out everyone else" boastfulness, vainglory - outspoken conceit egotism, swelled head, self-importance - an exaggerated opinion of your own importance posturing - adopting a vain conceited posture
	4.	vanity - low table with mirror or mirrors where one sits while dressing or applying makeup dressing table, toilet table, dresser table - a piece of furniture having a smooth flat top that is usually supported by one or more vertical legs; "it was a sturdy table"

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vanity

noun

1. pride, arrogance, conceit, airs, showing off (informal), pretension, narcissism, egotism, self-love, ostentation, vainglory, self-admiration, affected ways, bigheadedness (informal), conceitedness, swollen-headedness (informal) Men who use steroids are motivated by sheer vanity.
pride modesty, humility, self-deprecation, meekness, self-abasement

2. futility, uselessness, worthlessness, emptiness, frivolity, unreality, triviality, hollowness, pointlessness, inanity, unproductiveness, fruitlessness, unsubstantiality, profitlessness the futility of human existence and the vanity of wealth
futility value, worth, importance

Quotations
"I've only been in love with a beer bottle and a mirror" [Sid Vicious]
"Vanity is a vital aid to nature: completely and absolutely necessary to life. It is one of nature's ways to bind you to the earth" [Elizabeth Smart Necessary Secrets]
"Vanity, like murder, will out" [Hannah Cowley The Belle's Stratagem]
"Possibly, more people kill themselves and others out of hurt vanity than out of envy, jealousy, malice or desire for revenge" [Iris Murdoch The Philosopher's Pupil]
"Vanity of vanities, all is vanity" Bible: Ecclesiastes
"We are so vain that we even care for the opinion of those we don't care for" [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach]

Translations

vanity [ˈvænɪtɪ]

A. N

1. (= conceit) → vanidad f
to do sth out of vanity → hacer algo por vanidad

2. (= pride) → orgullo m

3. (= emptiness) → vanidad f
all is vanity → todo es vanidad

B. CPD vanity case N → neceser m
vanity (license) plate N (esp US) (Aut) → matrícula f personalizada
vanity unit N → lavabo m empotrado

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vanity [ˈvænəti] n

(= conceitedness) → vanité f

(= concern with one's appearance) → coquetterie f
He refused to wear glasses. It was sheer vanity → Il refusait de porter des lunettes. C'était par pure coquetterie.
to do sth out of vanity → faire qch par coquetterie

(= futility) → futilité f
vanity box n → vanity-case m
vanity case n → vanity-case m
vanity plate n → plaque f d'immatriculation personnalisée

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vanity

n

(concerning looks) → Eitelkeit f; (concerning own value) → Einbildung f, → Eingebildetheit f; vanity made him think he was bound to succeed → er war so eingebildet or so von sich eingenommen, dass er einen Misserfolg für ausgeschlossen hielt

(= worthlessness, of life, pleasures) → Nichtigkeit f, → Hohlheit f; (of words) → Hohlheit f; (of efforts) → Vergeblichkeit f; all is vanity → alles ist vergebens

(US: = dressing table) → Frisiertisch m

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vanity:

vanity case

n → Schmink- or Kosmetikkoffer m

Vanity Fair

n → Jahrmarkt m → der Eitelkeiten

vanity plates

pl (US Aut) Nummernschild mit persönlicher Note

vanity press

n (esp US) → Selbstkostenverlag m

vanity publishing

n Veröffentlichung, für die ein Autor selbst bezahlt, da es sonst nicht zur Veröffentlichung kommen würde

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vanity [ˈvænɪtɪ] n → vanità f inv

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vanity [ˈvænɪtɪ] n → vanità f inv

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vanity vain