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[ van-i-tee ]
/ ˈvæn ɪ ti /
This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
noun, plural van·i·ties.
excessive pride in one’s appearance, qualities, abilities, achievements, etc.; character or quality of being vain; conceit: Failure to be elected was a great blow to his vanity.
an instance or display of this quality or feeling.
something about which one is vain or excessively proud: His good looks are his greatest vanity.
lack of real value; hollowness; worthlessness: the vanity of a selfish life.
something worthless, trivial, or pointless.
a wide, counterlike shelf containing a wash basin, as in the bathroom of a hotel or residence, often equipped with shelves, drawers, etc., underneath.
a cabinet built below or around a bathroom sink, primarily to hide exposed pipes.
adjective
produced as a showcase for one’s own talents, especially as a writer, actor, singer, or composer: surprisingly entertaining for a vanity production.
of, relating to, or issued by a vanity press: a spate of vanity books.
QUIZ
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Origin of vanity
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English vanite from Old French vanité from Latin vānitās, equivalent to vān- (see vain) + -itās -ity
synonym study for vanity
OTHER WORDS FROM vanity
van·i·tied, adjective
Words nearby vanity
vanish, vanishing cream, vanishing point, vanitas, vanitory, vanity, vanity bag, vanity case, Vanity Fair, Vanity of vanities; all is vanity, vanity plate
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
MORE ABOUT VANITY
What does vanity mean?
Vanity is the excessive pride in oneself, usually related to appearance or accomplishments, as in Simon’s vanity wouldn’t let him purchase a more practical car.
Vanity can also refer to something a person is overly proud of, as in Lars’ only real vanity was his singing ability.
Vanity can also refer to an area with a mirror where you would groom yourself, like a dressing table or a counter and sink. A vanity can also be a place for storing grooming products, such as a shelf, cupboard, or case.
Example: That museum of vanity that he calls a house is just full of his own artwork and paintings.
Where does vanity come from?
The first records of the term vanity come from the 1200s. It ultimately comes from the Latin vānitās, which combines vān, meaning “vain,” and the Latin suffix –itās, which creates nouns that describe a condition, state, or quality.
Vanity is often considered a negative thing because someone who is vain does not often recognize their faults or focuses too much on things that aren’t considered to have lasting or serious value, such as money and beauty. Most uses of vanity are related to this idea.
The furniture or storage sense of vanity is not considered to be a negative, however. Taking care of your appearance is generally considered a good thing, as long as it’s balanced with caring about the kind of person you are and how you treat others.
Did you know … ?
How is vanity used in real life?
Vanity is normally used by people who are criticizing someone’s actions or appearance.
DON’T CROSS ME OR I WILL START A BAND AND WE WILL PLAY YOUR LEAST FAVORITE TYPE OF MUSIC AND BECOME HUGE AND THE NAME OF THE BAND WILL BE YOUR CAR’S LICENSE PLATE NUMBER AND YOU WILL LOOK LIKE YOU GOT A VANITY PLATE WITH OUR BAND’S NAME ON IT OH MY GOD YOU WILL FEEL SO STUPID 😎
— Ted Travelstead (@trumpetcake) October 18, 2019
Vanity not only distances us from God: it makes us look ridiculous.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) October 31, 2015
Can’t wait for Instagram to get rid of likes. Hoping it leads to the elimination of public vanity metrics.
Really believe it will lead to an explosion of creativity and truth
— Gary Vaynerchuk (@garyvee) September 12, 2019
Try using vanity!
Is vanity used correctly in the following sentence?
Michael’s vanity is his intelligence, which he shows off by explaining ordinary things in great detail.
Words related to vanity
arrogance, pride, affectation, airs, conceitedness, display, narcissism, ostentation, pretension, self-love, self-worship, show, smugness, vainglory, ego trip, self-admiration
How to use vanity in a sentence
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As the high prices indicate, expect these first electric trucks to serve primarily as vanity vehicles for people who own more than one car.
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Live streams are among the few remaining platforms that don’t push curation and vanity but rather thrive on the opposite—authenticity.
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The Home Depot listing says this vanity is made of particleboard with a front of natural wood, but there aren’t any details about what kind of paint and primer the manufacturer used.
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Follower counts are more than just a vanity metric when it comes to influencer marketing.
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You’ll finally be able to find the bottom of your vanity and maybe even locate that one earring you lost two years ago.
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Vicky Ward was a contributing editor to Vanity Fair for 11 years.
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In a hot-button cover story interview with Vanity Fair, Lawrence explained it best.
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The book, surprisingly, is not the self-aggrandizing vanity trip of a preening pop star one would expect.
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In an interview with Vanity Fair, Diez said he married the duchess for love, not money.
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“What The Little Mermaid Taught Us About Being Grown-Ups,” Vanity Fair commemorated in a GIF-laden post.
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Greater mischiefs happen often from folly, meanness, and vanity than from the greater sins of avarice and ambition.
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I, therefore, deliver it as a maxim, that whoever desires the character of a proud man ought to conceal his vanity.
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If I am proof against my own heart, in so dear a cause, shall I not be proof against the poor allurements of vanity and sense?
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She was as incapable of jealousy as of aching vanity in the fact of a son whom the world was never permitted to forget.
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Her youthful vanity had its way in a mind too speculative, intelligent, observant, merely to be shocked.
British Dictionary definitions for vanity
noun plural -ties
the state or quality of being vain; excessive pride or conceit
ostentation occasioned by ambition or pride
an instance of being vain or something about which one is vain
the state or quality of being valueless, futile, or unreal
something that is worthless or useless
Word Origin for vanity
C13: from Old French vanité, from Latin vānitās emptiness, from vānus empty
Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
You may have a vanity in your home, or you might experience some healthy vanity while you’re getting ready to go out on the town. If you don’t know what vanity means, check out this Word Counter post to expand your vocabulary.
What Does the Word Vanity Mean?
According to Collins English Dictionary, the noun vanity has a couple of potential meanings. First, vanity refers to a sense of excessive pride and arrogance or overweening conceit. This kind of inflation of mind and fruitless desire for personal attainments can often garner negative criticism.
The noun vanity can also refer to a bench or cabinet above or below a bathroom sink used to store toiletries. These bathroom drawers are sometimes a low table that comes with a seat so someone can do their makeup or hair in front of a mirror.
What Are Translations of the Word Vanity?
To discuss the concept of vanity with people in another language, you need to know how to say vanity in multiple languages. This list of translations of the word vanity has got you covered.
You might notice that several of the below translations look and sound similar to the word vanity itself. When two words in different languages sound and look alike, they are called cognates. Cognates are often formed when two words have the same language of origin or root word, like Latin or Greek.
- Portuguese: vaidade (fem.)
- Welsh: oferedd (masc.), gwagedd (masc.)
- French: vanité (fem.)
- Romanian: vanitate (fem.), mândrie, îngâmfare (fem.)
- Greek: ματαιοδοξία (fem.)
- Armenian: սնափառություն
- Estonian: edevus
- Afrikaans: Adelheid
- Macedonian: суета
- Italian: vanità (fem.)
- Finnish: turhamaisuus
- Catalan: vanitat (fem.)
- Latin: vanitas (fem.)
- Asturian: vanidá (fem.)
- Hungarian: hiúság, önteltség
- Spanish: vanidad (fem.)
- Japanese: 虚栄心 (きょえいしん, kyoeishin)
- Czech: marnivost (fem.), ješitnost (fem.), domýšlivost (fem.)
- Esperanto: vanteco
- Galician: validate (fem.)
- Serbo-Croatian: visokoumlje (neut.), sujeta (fem.), slavoljublje (neut.)
- Arabic: غُرُور (masc.)
- Turkish: gurur
- Swedish: fåfänga (common)
- Malay: kesombongan
- Mandarin: 虛榮心, 虚荣心 (xūróngxīn)
- German: Eitelkeit (fem.)
- Azeri: qürrə
- Polish: próżność (fem.)
- Norwegian: forfengelighet (fem.)
- Danish: forfængelighed (common)
- Dutch: ijdelheid (fem.)
- Persian: غرور (ghurūr)
- Russian: тщесла́вие (neut.), суета́ (fem.)
- Scottish Gaelic: uaill (fem.), dìomhanas (masc.), faoineas (masc.)
What Is the Etymology of the Word Vanity?
According to Your Dictionary of the English language, the word vanity has been used since the 14th century Middle English vanite. This word stems from the Old French vanité. The French term comes from the Latin vānitās and the Latin term vānus, meaning empty. This word has Indo-European roots.
How Can the Word Vanity Be Used in a Sentence?
Since vanity has two meanings, it is crucial to know how to use each and understand their individual connotations.
When using vanity to describe a type of bathroom or dressing room cabinet, it does not have a negative connotation. However, using the word vanity to discuss a personality trait is typically negative. The example sentences below will help you get started using the word vanity in all its many contexts:
She searched through all the shelves in her bathroom cabinet as well as her vanity but could not find the medication she was looking for.
The water lines under Gloria’s vanity burst, sending disgusting sewer water up the drain. It got all over the wash basin and countertop and was outside the realm of her own abilities to fix.
His trait of vanity was unbecoming, and he took a great blow to the ego when he learned about his lack of real value. This sense of false pride inflated all of his achievements, but he was truly average at his core.
His excessive belief in his own attractiveness and glory was a total turn-off to women on dating platforms. His empty pride brought him empty pleasure, and he had to do some soul searching to find what really made him happy.
Her life of hard labor strongly differed from his life of vanity and the idle show of work. He had barely lifted a finger in his life in the vain pursuit of a modeling career.
What Are Synonyms for the Word Vanity?
Vanity has a negative connotation. If you are looking for a word with a more positive meaning that does not have narcissistic undertones, it might be best to opt for a synonym. For a complete list of synonyms for the word vanity with negative and positive connotation, look no further than this list from Power Thesaurus.
- amour propre
- arrogance
- big-headedness
- boastfulness
- rootlessness
- cockiness
- conceit
- conceitedness
- dresser
- dressing table
- ego
- ego trip
- egoism
- egotism
- emptiness
- fruitlessness
- futility
- haughtiness
- hauteur
- hollowness
- hubris
- narcissism
- ostentation
- pointlessness
- pomposity
- pompousness
- pretension
- pride
- pridefulness
- self-absorption
- self-admiration
- self-conceit
- self-esteem
- self-importance
- self-love
- self-regard
- self-satisfaction
- smugness
- snobbery
- superciliousness
- toilet table
- uselessness
- vainglory
- vainness
- worthlessne
What Are Antonyms for the Word Vanity?
If someone exemplifies the opposite of the word vanity, you should use an antonym. This significant list of antonyms of the word vanity from Power Thesaurus can help you get started:
- altruism
- apple-polishing
- arse kissing
- arse licking
- arse-licking
- ass licking
- ass-kissing
- ass-licking
- benevolence
- big cheese
- big fish
- big wig
- bootlicking
- brown-nosing
- demureness
- diffidence
- exercitation
- helpfulness
- humbleness
- humility
- meekness
- modesty
- selflessness
- value
Conclusion
The word vanity has two different meanings. First, the word vanity can refer to a type of bathroom or dressing room cabinet with a mirror and drawers that a person uses to get ready. The word vanity can also be used to describe a personality trait of excessive pride and conceit.
Sources:
- Vanity Synonyms | Power Thesaurus
- Vanity antonyms – 103 Opposites of Vanity | Power Thesaurus
- Vanity definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary
- Vanity Meaning | Best 18 Definitions of Vanity | Your Dictionary
Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do’s and don’ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.
Noun
The handsome actor’s vanity was well-known.
She described her accomplishments without exaggeration or vanity.
Recent Examples on the Web
Both are equipped with luxurious touches that provide top-tier privacy and comfort, including ambient light controls, free Wi-Fi, vanities, snacks, minibars, and widescreen TVs with over 5,000 channels.
—
Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 8 Apr. 2023
The sprawling primary bathroom suite certainly sets the stage for some pampering, with its custom, two-sided vanity by Etherington Designs, a wet room–style shower, and a bespoke Portoro marble tub.
—Elizabeth Fazzare, ELLE Decor, 8 Apr. 2023
The primary bathroom embraces luxury with double vanities.
—Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 4 Apr. 2023
This unconventional conversation between a mother and her son, the filmmaker, tackles desire, personal autonomy, vanity, and money.
—Jennie Punter, Variety, 28 Mar. 2023
Primary bathrooms display floating vanities, a freestanding tub, an expansive shower and custom California closets.
—Huntington Homes, Dallas News, 28 Mar. 2023
Adding to this, the furniture has a playful feel, from the wardrobes with their ‘jigsaw’ doors to the bathroom vanities, made by Lava in France, with large mirrors in walnut and lacquer.
—Angelina Villa-clarke, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2023
Plus, the spa-like bathroom comes complete with a freestanding soaking tub, a double vanity, an oversized shower, and a custom walk-in closet.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 13 Mar. 2023
The cabins have a double vanity, heated floors, and double shower heads.
—Anchorage Daily News, 23 Feb. 2023
That Earl got to run another record label, even a semi-vanity label like Rolling Stones Records, is a miracle.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘vanity.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
There are lots of words with multiple definitions. You figure out which one is intended by the context. Yes, it’s amusing when a word has two definitions that seem opposite each other, but it’s usually clear which is meant from context. If it’s not, then the sentence was poorly constructed. Well, sometimes people deliberately construct a sentence using such a word in an ambiguous way for humor value.
If you say, «Alice was filled with vanity after she got a starring role in a movie», clearly we mean pride. If you say, «It was vanity for Alice to suppose that she would ever get a starring role in a movie», clearly we mean futile.
As FumbleFingers notes in a comment, people rarely use the noun «vanity» to mean futility these days. That meaning is largely obsolete. We do still use the adjective «vain» to mean futile. As in, «He made a vain effort to climb the mountain». Most often it’s used in the phrase «in vain», as in, «Her attempt to find the lost ring proved to be in vain.»
There’s a famous Bible quote: Ecclesiastes 1:2, «Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.» If you read that quote out of context, I guess it would be ambiguous. Does he mean that everything is pride, or that everything is worthless? But if you read on, it’s clear which: «The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits. All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.» And so on. Clearly the point is that everything just goes around and around and little changes. It’s all boring and pointless.
тщеславие, суета, тщета, туалетный столик, суетность
существительное ↓
- суета, суетность; тщета
the vanity of worldly wealth — тщета мирского богатства 
to forsake the vanities of the world — отказаться от суетного света /от мирской суеты/
all is vanity of vanities — всё суета сует
- тщеславие
injured /wounded/ vanity — уязвлённое тщеславие, оскорблённое самолюбие
to do smth. out of vanity — делать что-л. из тщеславия /из честолюбия/
to tickle smb.’s vanity — щекотать чьё-л. самолюбие
to feed smb.’s vanity — льстить кому-л., угодничать перед кем-л.
- дамская сумочка (особ. вечерняя)
- пудреница с прессованной пудрой; компактный набор косметики
- косметическая сумочка, «косметичка»
- модная вещичка
- амер. туалетный столик
- библ. (языческий) идол
Мои примеры
Словосочетания
to play up to smb.’s vanity — тешить чьё-л. самолюбие
to flatter smb.’s vanity, to tickle smb.’s vanity — польстить чьему-л. тщеславию
injured vanity — уязвлённое самолюбие
vanity effect — эффект престижа
his vanity is piqued — его тщеславие уязвлено
vanity mirror — маленькое зеркальце
vanity publishing — издание (книг) за счет автора
vanity bag — косметичка, сумочка для косметики
vanity box — косметичка, сумочка для косметики
he was bursting with vanity — его переполняло тщеславие
Примеры с переводом
Her success feeds her vanity.
Успех подпитывает её тщеславие.
Vanity and pride were his two worst character defects.
Двумя худшими его пороками были тщеславие и гордыня.
She described her accomplishments without exaggeration or vanity.
Она также рассказала о своих достижениях, без преувеличения, или тщеславия.
A supreme satisfaction — salving over many wounds of vanity.
Высшее удовольствие — врачевать многочисленные раны тщеславия.
The handsome actor’s vanity was well-known.
Тщеславие этого красивого актёра было хорошо известно.
Any garbage of this kind is food for a woman’s vanity.
Всякое подобное бульварное чтиво — пища для женского тщеславия.
The novel is about a family consumed with pride and vanity.
Роман рассказывает о семье, погрязшей в гордыне и тщеславии.
Reflecting the Quaker avoidance of personal vanity, the graveyard is not marked by so much as a single headstone.
Квакерский обычай избегать любых проявлений тщеславия нашёл отражение на этом кладбище, где нет ни единого надгробья.
Примеры, ожидающие перевода
Sabrina had none of the vanity so often associated with beautiful women. 
Для того чтобы добавить вариант перевода, кликните по иконке ☰, напротив примера.