Vanity Meaning
/ˈvænɪti/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounThat which is vain, futile, or worthless; that which is of no value, use or profit.
nounExcessive pride in or admiration of one's own abilities, appearance, achievements, or possessions.
Sentence Examples
There is, perhaps, not one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as vanity.
A man's vanity is his tenderest spot.
The vanity plate I want is not available.
CEFR Practice Quiz
Her ____ made her spend hours looking at herself in the mirror every day.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
His ____ was evident in the way he constantly checked his appearance in every single mirror he passed today.
Word Origin & History
From va(i)n + -ity, from Middle English vanite, from Old French vanité, from Latin vānitas, from vānus, whence English vain. Doublet of vanitas.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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."
— 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Ecclesiastes 2:15–16:
"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."
— 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “A Project”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 224:
"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"
— 1981, Ashford & Simpson, “It Shows In the Eyes”, in Performance:
"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."
— 2024 November 29, Joshua Stylman, How Engineered Dependency Erases Our Autonomy:
"She was sitting in front of her vanity, brushing out her hair."
— 2020, Brit Bennett, The Vanishing Half, Dialogue Books, page 148:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
Her ____ made her spend hours looking at herself in the mirror every day.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
His ____ was evident in the way he constantly checked his appearance in every single mirror he passed today.