vainly
vainly — adverb
1. in a way that produces no result, even though someone tried hard to achieve some
in a way that produces no result, even though someone tried hard to achieve something
Brian rubbed his tired eyes and vainly tried to stay awake during the afternoon lecture.
collocation: vainly tried
Sade knocked for ten minutes and stood outside, vainly hoping someone would answer.
collocation: vainly hoping
Through the dark forest, the rescue team searched vainly for the missing child all night.
Linh typed her password four times vainly before the screen displayed "Access Denied."
Ignacio waved vainly by the empty road, but no cars stopped for him.
- in vain
the far more common equivalent; preferred in spoken and informal English
- unsuccessfully
more direct and neutral in register
- to no avail
similar formality; often used in narrative writing
- fruitlessly
more formal and literary; emphasizes wasted effort
用法筆記
Vainly is less common than the phrase in vain in everyday speech; in vain is preferred for most informal contexts.