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Vain vs Bane - What's the difference?

vain | bane |

As an adjective vain

is overly proud of oneself, especially concerning appearance; having a high opinion of one's own accomplishments with slight reason.

As a noun bane is

a cause of misery or death; an affliction or curse.

As a verb bane is

to kill, especially by poison; to be the poison of.

vain

English

Adjective

(en-adj)
  • Overly proud of oneself, especially concerning appearance; having a high opinion of one's own accomplishments with slight reason.
  • * (rfdate) Leo Rosten
    • Every writer is a narcissist. This does not mean that he is vain ; it only means that he is hopelessly self-absorbed.
  • Having no real substance, value, or importance; empty; void; worthless; unsatisfying.
  • * (William Shakespeare) (1564-1616)
    • thy vain excuse
  • * Bible, (w) v. 6
    • Let no man deceive you with vain words.
  • * (John Milton) (1608-1674)
    • Vain wisdom all, and false philosophy.
  • Effecting no purpose; pointless, futile.
  • * (John Dryden) (1631-1700)
    • Vain is the force of man / To crush the pillars which the pile sustain.
  • * (rfdate) William of Occam
    • It is vain to do with more what can be done with fewer.
  • *{{quote-book, year=1922, author=(Ben Travers)
    • , chapter=6, title= A Cuckoo in the Nest , passage=But Sophia's mother was not the woman to brook defiance. After a few moments' vain remonstrance her husband complied. His manner and appearance were suggestive of a satiated sea-lion.}}
  • Showy; ostentatious.
  • * (Alexander Pope) (1688-1744)
    • Load some vain church with old theatric state.

    Synonyms

    * (overly proud of oneself) conceited; puffed up; inflated * (pointless) pointless, futile, fruitless, ineffectual * See also * See also

    Derived terms

    * in vain * vainness * vainly

    Related terms

    * vanity

    External links

    * *

    Anagrams

    * English terms with homophones ----

    bane

    English

    (wikipedia bane)

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) bane, from (etyl) bana, from (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A cause of misery or death; an affliction or curse
    • the bane of my existence
  • * Herbert
    • Money, thou bane of bliss, and source of woe.
  • (dated) Poison, especially any of several poisonous plants
  • (obsolete) A killer, murderer, slayer
  • (obsolete) destruction; death
  • * Milton
    • The cup of deception spiced and tempered to their bane .
  • A disease of sheep; the rot.
    • Antonyms
    * (affliction or curse) boon
    Derived terms
    * baneberry * baneful * boon and bane * wolfsbane

    Verb

    (ban)
  • To kill, especially by poison; to be the poison of.
  • To be the bane of.

    • Etymology 2

    From (etyl) northern dialect ban, from (etyl)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (chiefly, Scotland) A bone

    • References

    *

    Anagrams

    * * ----