Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

vānē, adv., v. vanus fin.

vānus, a, um, adj. [etym. dub.; cf. vaco], that contains nothing, empty, void. vacant.

  1. I. Lit. (rare; not in Cic.): sed illos Exspectata seges vanis elusit aristis, Verg. G. 1, 226: leve ac vanum granum, Col. 2, 9, 13: ne vana urbis magnitudo esset, Liv. 1, 8, 5: vanior jam erat hostium acies, id. 2, 47, 4: videtis ordines raros, cornua extenta, mediam aciem vanam et exhaustam, Curt. 4, 14, 14: vanam aciem esse ratus, i. e. thin, weak, id. 4, 14, 8: non vanae redeat sanguis imagini, i. e. to the shade of the dead (so called as being without a body), Hor. C. 1, 24, 15; 3, 27, 41.
  2. II. Trop., empty as to purport or result, idle, null, groundless, unmeaning, fruitless, vain (freq. and class.): omnes dant consilium vanum, Enn. ap. Front. Ep. 2, 13 (Trag. Rel. v. 419 Vahl.): falsum aut vanum aut fictum (opp. vera), Ter. Eun. 1, 2, 24: oratio, Cic. Lael. 26, 98: vana quaedam atque inania polliceri. id. Planc. 42, 101: vana falsaque, Plin. 30, 2, 5, § 14: res tumida, vana, ventosa, Sen. Ep. 84, 11: orationi vanae crediderunt, idle, delusive, Cic. Rosc. Am. 40, 117: non bellum sed vanam imaginem belli insedisse, Liv. 3, 16, 5: verba, Ov. M. 13, 263: convicia, id. ib. 9, 303: historiae, Quint. 1, 8, 20: argumentum, id. 7, 2, 34: error, Lucr. 1, 1068: agitatio armorum, Liv. 7, 10, 8: metus, Hor. C. 1, 23, 3; Ov. H. 16, 342: gaudia, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 188: spes, Ov. M. 14, 364: ira, Val. Fl. 8, 374; Liv. 1, 10, 4: fides, Verg. A. 4, 12: omen, Ov. M. 2, 597: vox auguris, id. ib. 3, 349: cuspis, id. ib. 8, 346: pila omnia, Liv. 7, 23, 8: pleraque tela, id. 30, 10, 13: ensis, id. 7, 10, 9: ictus, id. 34, 39, 2: promissa, Tac. A. 3, 16: vana et irrita testamenta, Suet. Calig. 38: vaniore dicendi genere inflata (gens), Quint. 12, 10, 17: sententiarum vanissimus strepitus, Petr. 1.
    With abl.: postquam equestris pugna effectu quam conatibus vanior erat, Liv. 7, 7, 8: oratio non suis vana laudibus, non crimine alieno laeta, id. 4, 41, 1.
      1. 2. Subst.: vānum, i, n., emptiness, nothingness, naught: ad vanum et irritum redacta victoria, brought to nothing, Liv. 26, 37, 8: nec tota ex vano criminatio erat, i. e. groundless, without cause, id. 33, 31, 4: ex vano habere spem, id. 27, 26, 1: cedit labor in vanum, Sen. Hippol. 182.
        Plur.: haud vana adtulere, Liv. 4, 37, 6.
        Neutr. plur. adverb.: ut vidit (Arruntem) laetantem animis ac vana tumentem, i. e. vainly, with vain show, Verg. A. 11, 854.
        With gen.: corruptus vanis rerum, Hor. S. 2, 2, 25: vana rumoris, Tac. A. 4, 59.
      2. 3. Vanum est, with subject-clause: vanum arbitror esse circa canis ortum angues candidos membranam eam exuere, Plin. 30, 3, 8, § 25.
    1. B. Transf., of persons, false, lying, deceptive, delusive, untrustworthy: vanus et perfidiosus et impius, false, Cic. Quint. 6, 26: vanus mendaxque, Verg. A. 2, 80: haruspices, Cic. Div. 1, 19, 36: haec mihi non vani (neque erat cur fallere vellent) Narravere senes, i. e. veracious, Ov. M. 8, 721; cf.: ingenium dictatoris, Liv. 1, 27, 1: vane Ligus frustraque animis elate superbis, Verg. A. 11, 715: vir omnium vanissimus, Vell. 2, 30, 1: invidia vulgi vanum ingenium dictatoris corrupit, weak, wavering, Liv. 1, 27, 1: ne irrisus ac vanus iisdem castris assideret, etc., in vain, Tac. H. 2, 22 fin.
      With gen.: aut ego (i. e. Juno) veri Vana feror, Verg. A. 10, 631: voti vanus, i. e. deceived, Sil. 12, 261: turba vana sanctitudinis, App. de Deo Socr. p. 43, 1.
      1. 2. Esp., vainglorious, ostentatious, boastful, vain: Cn. Lentulus perincertum stolidior an vanior, Sall. H. 4, 35 Dietsch ad loc.: laudare se vani, vituperare stulti est, Val. Max. 7, 2, ext. 8.
        With abl.: hunc ingenio vanum Aetoli inpulerant in spem regni, Liv. 35, 47, 7.
        Hence, adv.: vānē, idly, vainly (post-class.): vane gaudere, Tert. Apol. 49: vanius excogitatum, App. Mag. p. 300, 41: praecavere vanissime, Tert. Pud. 1.