noun
vanity
VA-nih-tee
noun
1
Excessive pride in one's own looks, abilities, or achievements.
"His vanity made it hard for him to accept any criticism."
"She checked her reflection in every shop window — pure vanity."
2
Something that has no real value or lasting importance; emptiness.
"The old king came to see his conquests as vanity in the end."
3
A bathroom cabinet built around a sink, or a small table with a mirror used for grooming.
"The new bathroom vanity has plenty of storage under the sink."
"She sat at her vanity, brushing out her hair before bed."
How to Use Vanity
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishVanity mainly means excessive self-admiration, but it's also the everyday word for a sink-and-mirror bathroom unit.
Common pairings
vanity of vanities
bathroom vanity
wounded vanity
vanity project
Word Forms
vanities plural
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “vanity”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
His _____ made it hard for him to accept any criticism.
Etymology
From Old French vanité, from Latin vanitas — built on vanus, "empty" or "vain." The bathroom-furniture sense is a much later, purely English development, from the dressing tables once used for personal grooming.