What's the difference between cocky and vain?

Cocky


Definition:

  • (a.) Pert.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) The story to me is that Disney and Lucasfilm are acting rationally, confidently and not cocky.” Poor critical reactions to the film may even end up being irrelevant to its opening figures, though Abrams’s flawless track record suggests the film is likely to be well-reviewed.
  • (2) His Guantánamo file, which was among a large cache of documents later passed to WikiLeaks , shows that the camp authorities quickly reached the conclusion that he had no connection with the Taliban or al-Qaida but decided against releasing him because his “timeline has not been fully established”, and because the British diplomats who had seen him at Kandahar had found him to be “cocky and evasive”.
  • (3) In fact, the chancellor’s cockiness may be Corbyn’s best bet.
  • (4) He did not exhibit any of the cockiness of youth, nor youth’s insecurities; instead, he set an example worthy of his position, wise beyond his years, in his speech, in his conduct, in his love, faith and purity.
  • (5) I don't think there's any arrogance or any aw shucks kind of cockiness.
  • (6) Hall might be a scion of one of Britain's most important theatrical dynasties (his father is Peter, his half-sister Rebecca), but the cocky irreverence of his productions showed he had every intention of making his own mark.
  • (7) They don't, I'm one of them and this is the quickest sport in the world to bring you back down to earth again, so there's no room for arrogance or cockiness or thinking you're any better than anyone else, because you ain't."
  • (8) Kimberley's self-assurance – a character trait so lauded in men– has been rebranded as smugness, cockiness and even malice.
  • (9) And there’s a fine line between exuding confidence and looking cocky.
  • (10) A meek-looking O’Reilly is then confronted by his cocky alter ego, who tells him: “What’s wrong, you can’t take it?
  • (11) I passed the test, and may even have felt an infantile cockiness when I started going to meetings.
  • (12) The prime minister, Tony Abbott, told reporters on Friday he was “confident, but not complacent or cocky” about the Liberals’ chances in the byelection.
  • (13) His cockiness, his kind of wit, his geopolitical discourses, his physical poise, are all instruments to this end.
  • (14) But then maybe it's a good thing that City fans aren't too cocky – it's not too long since we were in the doldrums."
  • (15) Last week the prime minister, Tony Abbott, said he was “confident, but not complacent or cocky” about the Liberals’ chances in the byelection.
  • (16) We were 300 young, ambitious, cocky twentysomethings, in the heart of Manhattan with a lot of money at our disposal.
  • (17) 'I was quite cocky back then; I thought I was supersonic.'
  • (18) Corden is still frowning: 'I don't think I came across as a cocky little bugger on Jonathan Ross.'
  • (19) Castigated for being cocky and aloof, Wilson was branded by some as an “AA meeting in cleats” and wound up being one of the most despised athletes in Dallas.
  • (20) By setting me up as a cocky little so-and-so he was basically giving a thumb's up to the snipers, but it backfired (eventually) on the one who shouted, to a huge laugh, "Where are your eyes?"

Vain


Definition:

  • (superl.) Having no real substance, value, or importance; empty; void; worthless; unsatisfying.
  • (superl.) Destitute of forge or efficacy; effecting no purpose; fruitless; ineffectual; as, vain toil; a vain attempt.
  • (superl.) Proud of petty things, or of trifling attainments; having a high opinion of one's own accomplishments with slight reason; conceited; puffed up; inflated.
  • (superl.) Showy; ostentatious.
  • (n.) Vanity; emptiness; -- now used only in the phrase in vain.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) For example, if we purchase new examination equipment without any consideration or if we decide what type of equipment to introduce according to the common advice of the purchase committee of the hospital or the medical school, then we cannot design an ideal system of laboratory examinations and are forced to invest a large sum of money in vain.
  • (2) The George Bush campaign juggernaut hit the first serious pothole of its cash-fuelled drive to the presidency yesterday, as the Texas governor tried in vain to fend off questions about whether he had used cocaine as a young man.
  • (3) Full set list, show one (thanks to princevault.com ) Take Me With U (acoustic) Raspberry Beret (acoustic) U Got The Look (acoustic) Instrumental jam (acoustic) Train In Vain (acoustic) Q & A (1) incl.
  • (4) VaIN rarely is an isolated lesion and frequently is preceded by, or coexists with, other types of premalignant genital squamous neoplasia.
  • (5) He’s the kind of self-styled intellectual journalist in politics who caused so much trouble in 20th century politics, not a bad man, decent enough in his way, but not as smart as he thinks he is, vain with it.
  • (6) For long spells, West Ham searched in vain for inspiration as they tried to find a way past Newcastle United’s defence and end a run of three matches without a win.
  • (7) Further, in a vain attempt for a boost in the Hoosier State, Cruz unveiled former rival Carly Fiorina as his running mate if he receives the nomination and was able to cajole the state’s sitting governor, Mike Pence, into an endorsement.
  • (8) The next few days may well determine whether, this time, such loyalty will be in vain; but, while yearning for a clarion call and what was described as "vision" in this paper's leading article yesterday, I need to pose some pretty stark questions to Guardian readers.
  • (9) He aims to put his newspapers, including the Times and the Sun, behind a paywall, something described by the co-founder of Twitter, Biz Stone, as a vain attempt to "put the genie back in the bottle".
  • (10) In vain I argued that Robin Day seemed to wear the same jacket and shirt every week, and fled back to radio."
  • (11) Now I can feel that my son's blood wasn't totally lost in vain.
  • (12) In vain will Cameron plead that blame should lie with Brown and his Labour colleagues.
  • (13) At a media day held to mark the completion of the training and arranged before the tragedy, soldier after soldier came forward to insist that, though they were apprehensive, they were determined to do a good job, partly to make sure that their six colleagues had not died in vain.
  • (14) He somehow scrambled to deuce and delighted in forcing Dimitrov to chase in vain from one side of the court to the other to go 6-5 up.
  • (15) Assessment of patients between 9 and 99 (mean 55) months after partial colpectomy for VAIN showed no recurrence of disease in ten patients (83%).
  • (16) The scientific establishment struggled in vain to produce evidence that would reassure the public.
  • (17) No grieving wants to go through that, and our city doesn’t want to go through that.” Murphy said an accelerated program to equip Baltimore police officers with body cameras would mean Gray “did not die in vain”.
  • (18) His mother has said she tried in vain to get help for him.
  • (19) But he flailed in vain as the police officers grabbed him, one forcing his T-shirt roughly up over his head as three or four others laid in with their wooden batons, dragging and pushing him to a line of waiting Land Cruisers and more helmeted cops.
  • (20) As Steve spends half his money trying in vain to keep a scowl off Michelle's face and the rest comfort eating, Liz stumped up half the cash.