in a vain attempt ou effort to do

См. также в других словарях:

• vain — [ veın ] adjective * 1. ) someone who is vain is very proud and thinks they are very attractive or special: CONCEITED: He was vain about his looks, spending hours in the gym. 2. ) unsuccessful or useless: a vain attempt/bid/effort: They made a… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

• vain */ — UK [veɪn] / US adjective Word forms vain : adjective vain comparative vainer superlative vainest 1) showing disapproval someone who is vain is very proud and thinks they are very attractive or special He was vain about his looks, spending hours… …   English dictionary

• vain — adjective 1 someone who is vain is very proud of their good looks, abilities, or position; conceited 2 in vain without success in spite of your efforts: I tried in vain to get Sue to come with us. 3 vain attempt/hope/effort etc an attempt, hope… …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

• vain — [veın] adj [Date: 1300 1400; : Old French; Origin: Latin vanus empty, vain ] 1.) someone who is vain is too proud of their good looks, abilities, or position used to show disapproval = ↑conceited ▪ Men can be just as vain as women. see usage note …   Dictionary of contemporary English

• vain — [[t]ve͟ɪn[/t]] vainer, vainest 1) ADJ: ADJ n A vain attempt or action is one that fails to achieve what was intended. The drafting committee worked through the night in a vain attempt to finish on schedule... I was singing in a vain effort to… …   English dictionary

• effort */*/*/ — UK [ˈefə(r)t] / US [ˈefərt] noun Word forms effort : singular effort plural efforts Metaphor: When you put a lot of effort into doing something, it is like using a part of your body. Does she have the backbone to stand up to them? Or will she… …   English dictionary

• effort — noun 1 physical/mental energy needed to do sth ADJECTIVE ▪ considerable ▪ hard ▪ It took a whole day of hard effort to knock down the wall. ▪ constant, sustained ▪ …   Collocations dictionary

• attempt */*/*/ — I UK [əˈtempt] / US noun [countable] Word forms attempt : singular attempt plural attempts 1) an effort to do something one last desperate attempt The government has made no attempt to avert the crisis. attempt on: an attempt on the world record… …   English dictionary

• vain — adj. Vain is used with these nouns: ↑attempt, ↑effort, ↑hope …   Collocations dictionary

• football — /foot bawl /, n. 1. a game in which two opposing teams of 11 players each defend goals at opposite ends of a field having goal posts at each end, with points being scored chiefly by carrying the ball across the opponent s goal line and by place… …   Universalium

• First English Civil War — The First English Civil War (1642–1646) was the first of three wars known as the English Civil War (or Wars ). The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations which took place between Parliamentarians and… …   Wikipedia