vainglory, n.
(veɪnˈglɔərɪ)
Also vain-glory, vain glory. Forms: see vain a. and glory n.
[ad. med.L. vāna glōria. Cf. OF. and mod.F. vaine gloire, It., Sp. vanagloria, Pg. vangloria.]
1. Glory that is vain, empty, or worthless; inordinate or unwarranted pride in one's accomplishments or qualities; disposition or tendency to exalt oneself unduly; idle boasting or vaunting.
| α a 1300 Cursor M. 26933 Noght als intent o waynglori, Or als þis ypocrites dos. c 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 1145 Honours nuryshes, als men may se, Vayn glory, vauntyng, and vanite. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. vii. 35 Bostynge and Braggynge wyth meny bold oþes, Auauntyng vp-on my veine glorie for eny vndernymynge. c 1450 tr. De Imitatione iii. xlv. 116 Verily, veyn glory is an euel pestilence & grettist vanyte. 1484 Caxton Fables of Avian vi, He that taketh within hym self vayne glorye of that thynge by the whiche he shold humble hym self is a very fole. 1535 Joye Apol. Tindale (Arb.) 22 For he that doth a thing secretly,..how seketh he vaynglory? 1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. iv. xxxiv. 156 b, Through the..increase of their power, they fell into such a vainglory and arrogancy. 1627 in Foster Eng. Factories India (1909) III. 174 Their trade..is not augmented but deminnished by vayneglorie and unnecessarie disburcements. 1656 Earl of Monmouth tr. Boccalini's Advts. fr. Parnass. i. xxxv. (1674) 44 Tamberlan the Scythian..had the vain-glory to be called the Emperor of the East. 1710 Norris Chr. Prud. vii. 309 Vainglory, whereby Men affect a great many dry and insipid Studies..only to please others, and procure from them a blind Admiration. 1782 F. Burney Cecilia vii. v, Thus have I..acknowledged my vain-glory. 1841 Helps Ess., Exerc. Benevolence (1875) 34 That portion of his thinking time which he spends upon vain-glory, upon imagining, for instance, what other people are thinking about him. 1878 B. Taylor Deukalion iii. ii. 106 The wisdom of the world? Nay: 'tis vain-glory. |
| β 1390 Gower Conf. II. 35 Bot he such veine gloire hadde Of that he was set upon hyh. c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. iv. 2610 Til vsurpe til hym þat nayme It war bot wayne glore or defame. a 1500 Ratis Raving, etc. 3644 To schaw hire proud, at men may see, Is pryd, wanglore, and vanite. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems ix. 118, I synnit..In fals vane gloir and deidis negligent. |
b. In the
phr. for vainglory.
| c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 3 Men doon þis nouelrie for vein glorie. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) III. 367 Som men telleþ þat Aristotil made his bookes so schortliche and so hard for envie and for vaynglorie. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. IV, 23 He..mervailed that the duke..wolde nowe for vainglory under colour of doyng dedes of Armes..violate the peace. |
c. As a personal name, or in personified use.
| c 1400 St. Alexius (Laud MS.) 1004 Hou his fader sergeauntz alle, veyn glorie gonne hym calle, And gorre on hym gonne þrowe. 14.. Why I can't be Nun 228 in E.E.P. (1862) 144 Dame sclowthe and dame veyne glory. 1596 Lodge Wits Miserie B ij, His first sonne is Vainglory. 1717 L. Howel Desiderius (ed. 3) 18 She gave him her Name, Vain-glory. |
2. A vainglorious thing, action, etc.
rare.
| c 1450 in Aungier Syon (1840) 378 None schal take any synguler abstynence up-on her withe-oute licence of the abbes, in awnter God take it for a veyne glory. 1607 Shakes. Timon i. ii. 249 What needs these Feasts, pompes, and Vaine-glories? 1649 Milton Eikon. viii. Wks. 1851 III. 392 The Vulgar; who notwithstanding what they might know, will beleeve such vain-glories as these. |
Hence
vainˈglory v. † (
a)
refl. To exalt or make much of (oneself) unduly.
Obs. (
b)
intr. To indulge in vainglory. Also
vainˈglorying vbl. n.| a 1637 N. Ferrar tr. Valdes' 110 Consid. (1638) 104, I understand, that a man being Just by his Justice, doth as much prize himselfe,..or vain-glory himselfe, as much as the theife, who is taken from the Gallowes in the Holy Week,..vaine-glories himselfe for his deliverance. 1882 Stevenson New Arab. Nts. (1884) 46 The scheme..had involved a little vain-glorying before his acquaintance. 1887 Westm. Rev. July 485 It would be idle and frivolous to mention these points for the sake of vain-glorying during the Jubilee year. |