fåfäng

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Swedish fafænger, equivalent to past participle of få (“few”) +‎ få (“receive”), thus originally "[which] received little". Compare etymology of eldfängd and befängd. Attested since the mid-14th century in the sense "futile".

Adjective

fåfäng (comparative fåfängare, superlative fåfängast)

1. vain (overly concerned with one's appearance or reputation)
2. futile, vain (having no chance of success)

   Synonyms: fruktlös, gagnlös

   fåfänga försök

   futile attempts

Declension

Inflection of fåfäng

Indefinite	positive	comparative	superlative1
common singular	fåfäng	fåfängare	fåfängast
neuter singular	fåfängt	fåfängare	fåfängast
plural	fåfänga	fåfängare	fåfängast
masculine plural2	fåfänge	fåfängare	fåfängast
Definite	positive	comparative	superlative
masculine singular3	fåfänge	fåfängare	fåfängaste
all	fåfänga	fåfängare	fåfängaste

¹ The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative.
² Dated or archaic.
³ Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine.

Related terms

• fåfänga

See also

• flärdfull
• inbilsk

References

• fåfäng in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• fåfäng in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• fåfäng in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
• fåfäng in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)