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Webster’s Dictionary (1828)



184 words match “VAIN”

FANGLED a.
New made; hence, gaudy; showy; vainly decorated. [Obs., except with the prefix new.] See Newfangled. "Our fangled world." Shak.
FELON a.
Characteristic of a felon; malignant; fierce; malicious; cruel; traitorous; disloyal. Vain shows of love to vail his felon hate. Pope.
FLATULENT a.
Pretentious without substance or reality; puffy; empty; vain; as, a flatulent vanity. He is too flatulent sometimes, and sometimes too dry. Dryden.
FLESHLY a.
not celestial; not spiritual or divine. "Fleshly wisdom." 2 Cor. i. 12. Much ostentation vain of fleshly arm And fragile arms. Milton.
FLIMSY a.
Weak; feeble; limp; slight; vain; without strength or solidity; of loose and unsubstantial structure; without reason or plausibility; as, a flimsy argument, excuse, objection. Proud of a vast extent of flimsy lines. Pope. All the flimsy furniture of a country miss's brain. Sheridan.
FLIPPANT a.
t epilogous." Thomson. To put flippant scorn to the blush. I. Taylor. A sort of flippant, vain discourse. Burke.
FLUSTER v.
To be in a heat or bustle; to be agitated and confused. The flstering, vainglorious Greeks. South.
FOIL v.
To render (an effort or attempt) vain or nugatory; to baffle; to outwit; to balk; to frustrate; to defeat. And by foiled. Dryden. Her long locks that foil the painter's power. Byron.
FOMENT v.
ften in a bad sense; as, to foment ill humors. Locke. But quench the choler you foment in vain. Dryden. Exciting and fomenting a religious rebellion. Southey.
FOOL n.
eved to be the region of vanity and nonsense. Hence, any foolish pleasure or condition of vain self-satistaction. -- Fool's parsley (Bot.), an annual umbelliferous plant (Æthusa Cynapium) resembling parsley, but nauseous and poisonous. -- To make a fool of, to render ridiculous; to outwit; to shame. [Colloq.] -- To p…
FORM n.
Show without substance; empty, outside appearance; vain, trivial, or conventional ceremony; conventionality; formality; as, a matter of mere form. Though well we may not pass upon his life Without the form of justice. Shak.
FRUITLESS a.
Productive of no advantage or good effect; vain; idle; useless; unprofitable; as, a fruitless attempt; a fruitless controversy. They in mutual accusation spent The fruitless hours. Milton.
FRUSTRANEOUS a.
Vain; useless; unprofitable. [Obs.] South.
FRUSTRATE a.
Vain; ineffectual; useless; unprofitable; null; voil; nugatory; of no effect. "Our frustrate search." Shak.
FRUSTRATELY adv.
In vain. [Obs.] Vicars.
FUME n.
Anything vaporlike, unsubstantial, or' airy; idle conceit; vain imagination. A show of fumes and fancies. Bacon.
FUTILE a.
Of no importance; answering no useful end; useless; vain; worthless. "Futile theories." I. Taylor. His reasoning . . . was singularly futile. Macaulay.
GENERAL a.
As a whole; in gross; for the most part. His general behavior vain, ridiculous. Shak.
GLORIOUS a.
Eager for glory or distinction; haughty; boastful; ostentatious; vainglorious. [Obs.] Most miserable Is the desire that's glorious. Shak.
GREET v.
To come upon, or meet, as with something that makes the heart glad. In vain the spring my senses greets. Addison.
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