Home / Dictionary / Vanity

Vanity Common

Vanity has 5 different meanings across 1 category:

Noun

Definitions
Noun
1

feelings of excessive pride

"Her vanity made her believe she was more talented than everyone else in the room."

2

the quality of being valueless or futile

"he rejected the vanities of the world"

3

the trait of being unduly vain and conceited; false pride

"His vanity prevented him from admitting that he had made a mistake in front of everyone."

4

low table with mirror or mirrors where one sits while dressing or applying makeup

"She stood in front of her vanity to fix her hair before leaving the house."

5

That which is vain, futile, or worthless; that which is of no value, use or profit.

"The vanity of his grand plans was revealed when they failed to bring him any real success."

In plain English: Vanity is an excessive pride in yourself and how you look to other people.

"She placed her vanity in front of the mirror to get ready for work."

Usage: Use this term to describe superficially attractive but ultimately useless objects or behaviors rather than the common sense of personal pride. Avoid confusing it with "vanity" as an abstract quality when you specifically mean a physical item like a dressing table.

Example Sentences
"She placed her vanity in front of the mirror to get ready for work." noun
"Her vanity mirror was covered in dust from months of neglect." noun
"He showed great vanity by demanding everyone admire his new car." noun
"The old cabinet served double duty as both storage and a vanity table." noun
Related Terms
Antonyms
humbleness
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
pride worthlessness trait table
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)
self-love boastfulness egotism posturing

Origin

The word vanity comes from the Latin vānus, which originally meant "empty" or "worthless." It entered Middle English through Old French before becoming part of modern English vocabulary.

Rhyming Words
ity pity mity city ality arity ility acity deity whity asity icity unity hoity laity amity osity inity egoity vomity
Compare
Vanity vs