vanité
vanity, conceit
noun vah-nee-TEH Rare
Origin: Latin vanitas, from vanus (empty, vain)
Also means
futility, emptiness
Usage Note
Vanité carries both the moral sense of excessive pride in one's appearance and the philosophical sense of futility or emptiness (as in the biblical vanité des vanités). The adjective is vaniteux (conceited). In art history, une vanité is a still-life painting featuring symbols of mortality, a genre popular in 17th-century Europe.
Examples
"Sa vanité l'empêche d'accepter les critiques."
Natural Translation
His vanity prevents him from accepting criticism.
Free starter pack
Building your French vocabulary?
Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.
Related Words
Explore French by topic
