"vainly" meaning in All languages combined

See vainly on Wiktionary

Adverb [English]

IPA: /ˈveɪnli/ [General-American] Audio: en-us-vainly.ogg [US] Forms: vainlier [comparative], more vainly [comparative], vainliest [superlative], most vainly [superlative]
Rhymes: -eɪnli Etymology: Inherited from Middle English vaynly, veynly, vaynely, veynely, equivalent to vain + -ly. Etymology templates: {{yesno||i|I}} I, {{glossary|Inherited}} Inherited, {{inh|en|enm|vaynly|||g=|g2=|g3=|id=|lit=|nocat=|pos=|sc=|sort=|tr=|ts=}} Middle English vaynly, {{inh+|en|enm|vaynly}} Inherited from Middle English vaynly, {{suf|en|vain|ly|id2=adverbial}} vain + -ly Head templates: {{en-adv|er,more}} vainly (comparative vainlier or more vainly, superlative vainliest or most vainly)
  1. In a vain pursuit; to no avail. Translations (in vain): vanament (Catalan), vane (Esperanto), hiába (Hungarian), ашоуть (ašutĭ) (Old Church Slavonic), vejäfs (Plautdietsch), daremnie (Polish), na darmo (Polish), na próżno (Polish), bezskutecznie (Polish), напрасно (naprasno) (Russian), тщетно (tščetno) (Russian), зря (zrja) (Russian), vanamente (Spanish), boşuna (Turkish), beyhude (Turkish), boş yere (Turkish)
    Sense id: en-vainly-en-adv-HS0b7Otp Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English terms suffixed with -ly (adverbial), Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Catalan translations, Terms with Esperanto translations, Terms with Hungarian translations, Terms with Old Church Slavonic translations, Terms with Plautdietsch translations, Terms with Polish translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Spanish translations, Terms with Turkish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 83 17 Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -ly (adverbial): 47 53 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 93 7 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 94 6 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 95 5 Disambiguation of Terms with Catalan translations: 87 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Esperanto translations: 90 10 Disambiguation of Terms with Hungarian translations: 71 29 Disambiguation of Terms with Old Church Slavonic translations: 98 2 Disambiguation of Terms with Plautdietsch translations: 95 5 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 82 18 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 92 8 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 90 10 Disambiguation of Terms with Turkish translations: 89 11 Disambiguation of 'in vain': 70 30
  2. With a vain attitude; in a self-approving manner.
    Sense id: en-vainly-en-adv-IaZanZQQ Categories (other): English terms suffixed with -ly (adverbial) Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -ly (adverbial): 47 53
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: in vain
{
  "etymology_links": [
    [
      "vaynly",
      "vaynly#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "veynly",
      "veynly#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "vaynely",
      "vaynely#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "veynely",
      "veynely#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "vain",
      "vain#English"
    ],
    [
      "-ly",
      "-ly#English:_adverbial"
    ]
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "",
        "2": "i",
        "3": "I"
      },
      "expansion": "I",
      "name": "yesno"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "Inherited"
      },
      "expansion": "Inherited",
      "name": "glossary"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "vaynly",
        "4": "",
        "5": "",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "id": "",
        "lit": "",
        "nocat": "",
        "pos": "",
        "sc": "",
        "sort": "",
        "tr": "",
        "ts": ""
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English vaynly",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "vaynly"
      },
      "expansion": "Inherited from Middle English vaynly",
      "name": "inh+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "vain",
        "3": "ly",
        "id2": "adverbial"
      },
      "expansion": "vain + -ly",
      "name": "suf"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Inherited from Middle English vaynly, veynly, vaynely, veynely, equivalent to vain + -ly.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "vainlier",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "more vainly",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "vainliest",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most vainly",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "er,more"
      },
      "expansion": "vainly (comparative vainlier or more vainly, superlative vainliest or most vainly)",
      "name": "en-adv"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adv",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "83 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "47 53",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms suffixed with -ly (adverbial)",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "93 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
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        {
          "_dis": "94 6",
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        {
          "_dis": "95 5",
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        {
          "_dis": "87 13",
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          "name": "Terms with Catalan translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "90 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Esperanto translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "71 29",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Hungarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "98 2",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Old Church Slavonic translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "95 5",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Plautdietsch translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "82 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Polish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "92 8",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "90 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "89 11",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Turkish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              13,
              19
            ]
          ],
          "text": "She searched vainly for her reflection in the shattered mirror.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "In a vain pursuit; to no avail."
      ],
      "id": "en-vainly-en-adv-HS0b7Otp",
      "links": [
        [
          "vain",
          "vain"
        ],
        [
          "avail",
          "avail"
        ]
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "70 30",
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "lang_code": "ca",
          "sense": "in vain",
          "word": "vanament"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "70 30",
          "code": "eo",
          "lang": "Esperanto",
          "lang_code": "eo",
          "sense": "in vain",
          "word": "vane"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "70 30",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "lang_code": "hu",
          "sense": "in vain",
          "word": "hiába"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "70 30",
          "code": "cu",
          "lang": "Old Church Slavonic",
          "lang_code": "cu",
          "roman": "ašutĭ",
          "sense": "in vain",
          "word": "ашоуть"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "70 30",
          "code": "pdt",
          "lang": "Plautdietsch",
          "lang_code": "pdt",
          "sense": "in vain",
          "word": "vejäfs"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "70 30",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "lang_code": "pl",
          "sense": "in vain",
          "word": "daremnie"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "70 30",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "lang_code": "pl",
          "sense": "in vain",
          "word": "na darmo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "70 30",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "lang_code": "pl",
          "sense": "in vain",
          "word": "na próżno"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "70 30",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "lang_code": "pl",
          "sense": "in vain",
          "word": "bezskutecznie"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "70 30",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "lang_code": "ru",
          "roman": "naprasno",
          "sense": "in vain",
          "word": "напрасно"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "70 30",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "lang_code": "ru",
          "roman": "tščetno",
          "sense": "in vain",
          "word": "тщетно"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "70 30",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "lang_code": "ru",
          "roman": "zrja",
          "sense": "in vain",
          "word": "зря"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "70 30",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "lang_code": "es",
          "sense": "in vain",
          "word": "vanamente"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "70 30",
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "lang_code": "tr",
          "sense": "in vain",
          "word": "boşuna"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "70 30",
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "lang_code": "tr",
          "sense": "in vain",
          "word": "beyhude"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "70 30",
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "lang_code": "tr",
          "sense": "in vain",
          "word": "boş yere"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "47 53",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms suffixed with -ly (adverbial)",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              11,
              17
            ]
          ],
          "text": "She stared vainly at her reflection in the mirror.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "With a vain attitude; in a self-approving manner."
      ],
      "id": "en-vainly-en-adv-IaZanZQQ",
      "links": [
        [
          "vain",
          "vain"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈveɪnli/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-vainly.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/ec/En-us-vainly.ogg/En-us-vainly.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/En-us-vainly.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-eɪnli"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "in vain"
    }
  ],
  "word": "vainly"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English adverbs",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "English terms suffixed with -ly (adverbial)",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/eɪnli",
    "Rhymes:English/eɪnli/2 syllables",
    "Terms with Catalan translations",
    "Terms with Esperanto translations",
    "Terms with Hungarian translations",
    "Terms with Old Church Slavonic translations",
    "Terms with Plautdietsch translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "Terms with Turkish translations"
  ],
  "etymology_links": [
    [
      "vaynly",
      "vaynly#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "veynly",
      "veynly#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "vaynely",
      "vaynely#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "veynely",
      "veynely#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "vain",
      "vain#English"
    ],
    [
      "-ly",
      "-ly#English:_adverbial"
    ]
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "",
        "2": "i",
        "3": "I"
      },
      "expansion": "I",
      "name": "yesno"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "Inherited"
      },
      "expansion": "Inherited",
      "name": "glossary"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "vaynly",
        "4": "",
        "5": "",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "id": "",
        "lit": "",
        "nocat": "",
        "pos": "",
        "sc": "",
        "sort": "",
        "tr": "",
        "ts": ""
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English vaynly",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "vaynly"
      },
      "expansion": "Inherited from Middle English vaynly",
      "name": "inh+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "vain",
        "3": "ly",
        "id2": "adverbial"
      },
      "expansion": "vain + -ly",
      "name": "suf"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Inherited from Middle English vaynly, veynly, vaynely, veynely, equivalent to vain + -ly.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "vainlier",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "more vainly",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "vainliest",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most vainly",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "er,more"
      },
      "expansion": "vainly (comparative vainlier or more vainly, superlative vainliest or most vainly)",
      "name": "en-adv"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adv",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              13,
              19
            ]
          ],
          "text": "She searched vainly for her reflection in the shattered mirror.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "In a vain pursuit; to no avail."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "vain",
          "vain"
        ],
        [
          "avail",
          "avail"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              11,
              17
            ]
          ],
          "text": "She stared vainly at her reflection in the mirror.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "With a vain attitude; in a self-approving manner."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "vain",
          "vain"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈveɪnli/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-vainly.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/ec/En-us-vainly.ogg/En-us-vainly.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/En-us-vainly.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-eɪnli"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "in vain"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "lang_code": "ca",
      "sense": "in vain",
      "word": "vanament"
    },
    {
      "code": "eo",
      "lang": "Esperanto",
      "lang_code": "eo",
      "sense": "in vain",
      "word": "vane"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "lang_code": "hu",
      "sense": "in vain",
      "word": "hiába"
    },
    {
      "code": "cu",
      "lang": "Old Church Slavonic",
      "lang_code": "cu",
      "roman": "ašutĭ",
      "sense": "in vain",
      "word": "ашоуть"
    },
    {
      "code": "pdt",
      "lang": "Plautdietsch",
      "lang_code": "pdt",
      "sense": "in vain",
      "word": "vejäfs"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "lang_code": "pl",
      "sense": "in vain",
      "word": "daremnie"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "lang_code": "pl",
      "sense": "in vain",
      "word": "na darmo"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "lang_code": "pl",
      "sense": "in vain",
      "word": "na próżno"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "lang_code": "pl",
      "sense": "in vain",
      "word": "bezskutecznie"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "lang_code": "ru",
      "roman": "naprasno",
      "sense": "in vain",
      "word": "напрасно"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "lang_code": "ru",
      "roman": "tščetno",
      "sense": "in vain",
      "word": "тщетно"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "lang_code": "ru",
      "roman": "zrja",
      "sense": "in vain",
      "word": "зря"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "lang_code": "es",
      "sense": "in vain",
      "word": "vanamente"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "lang_code": "tr",
      "sense": "in vain",
      "word": "boşuna"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "lang_code": "tr",
      "sense": "in vain",
      "word": "beyhude"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "lang_code": "tr",
      "sense": "in vain",
      "word": "boş yere"
    }
  ],
  "word": "vainly"
}

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This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-09-25 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-09-02 using wiktextract (1a05e46 and e3d6d4e). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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