What's the difference between rain and vain?

Rain


Definition:

  • (n. & v.) Reign.
  • (n.) Water falling in drops from the clouds; the descent of water from the clouds in drops.
  • (n.) To fall in drops from the clouds, as water; -- used mostly with it for a nominative; as, it rains.
  • (n.) To fall or drop like water from the clouds; as, tears rained from their eyes.
  • (v. t.) To pour or shower down from above, like rain from the clouds.
  • (v. t.) To bestow in a profuse or abundant manner; as, to rain favors upon a person.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) This is basically a large tank (the bigger the better) that collects rain from the house guttering and pumps it into the home, to be used for flushing the loo.
  • (2) The supporters – many of them wearing Hamas green headbands and carrying Hamas flags – packed the open-air venue in rain and strong winds to celebrate the Islamist organisation's 25th anniversary and what it regards as a victory in last month's eight-day war with Israel.
  • (3) As yet there is no evidence that the occurrence of savanna flies in the rain forest zone of Liberia was of epidemiological significance.
  • (4) But officials warned the rains may not reach the heart of the Rim fire.
  • (5) A light rain pattered the rooftops of Los Mochis in Friday’s pre-dawn darkness, the town silent and still as the Sea of Cortez lapped its shore.
  • (6) The effect of spraying plants with rain-water was to enhance slightly the total content of all trace metals analysed.
  • (7) Demonstrators gathered in the rain in the west of the Afghan capital and marched towards the city centre, chanting death to the Taliban and Islamic State , while demanding justice and protection from the government.
  • (8) Richard Aylard, director of sustainability and external affairs for Thames Water, said the firm was aware of the irony that heavy rain had set in after the hosepipe ban was announced.
  • (9) The warning of further food prices came as some British supermarkets said they were struggling to keep shelves stocked with fresh produce and the National Farmers Union (NFU) reported that UK wheat yields have been the lowest since the late 1980s as a result of abnormal rain fall.
  • (10) In Kew Gardens, west London, 18mm of rain fell in just an hour on Saturday afternoon with other deluges causing travel misery.
  • (11) A winter mission, following a rain, will-provide a view of low areas within fields which may be obscured by summer vegetation.
  • (12) Canterbury and Christchurch in the South Island were expected to bear the brunt of ex-cyclone Debbie, with rain expected to ease in the North Island later on Thursday.
  • (13) It took City until midway through the first half to test the Boro goalkeeper, and once they did begin to rain shots on goal they found Tómas Mejías more than capable of standing up to them.
  • (14) On the weather map rain hammers down like a monsoon.
  • (15) It sounds like self-congratulation for disbelieving incorrect forecasts of rain, then proudly stepping into a hailstorm without an umbrella.
  • (16) I went inside, and the sound of the rain on the roof and the darkness inside made me very afraid.
  • (17) Warning of more stormy weather to come he urged people to remain on alert in regions due for more heavy rain this Wednesday and Thursday.
  • (18) Boxing Day sales shoppers were soaked as downpours continued across the country on Wednesday, and there were warnings that an Atlantic storm would bring more heavy rain at the weekend.
  • (19) In view of the fact that a major consequence of acid rain is the liberation of large amounts of aluminum in bioavailable forms, concerns are raised about possible human health risks of this environmental phenomenon.
  • (20) At present it is not possible to quantify the effects attributed to acid rain only; account must be also be taken of cadmium added to, e.g., soil by use of sewage sludge and other fertilizers.

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.