English Synonyms and Antonyms

empty sleeve, a vacant mind, an empty heart, an empty boast, a vacant office, a vacant or leisure hour. Void
and devoid are rarely used in the literal sense, but for the most part confined to abstract relations, devoid being
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followed by of, and having with that addition the effect of a prepositional phrase; as, the article is devoid of
sense; the contract is void for want of consideration. Waste, in this connection, applies to that which is made
so by devastation or ruin, or gives an impression of desolation, especially as combined with vastness,
probably from association of the words waste and vast: waste is applied also to uncultivated or unproductive
land, if of considerable extent; we speak of a waste track or region, but not of a waste city lot. Vacuous refers
to the condition of being empty or vacant, regarded as continuous or characteristic.
Antonyms:
brimful, busy, filled, inhabited, overflowing, brimmed, crammed, full, jammed, packed, brimming, crowded,
gorged, occupied, replete.
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VAIN.
Synonyms:
abortive, futile, shadowy, unsatisfying, baseless, idle, trifling, unserviceable, bootless, inconstant, trivial,
unsubstantial, deceitful, ineffectual, unavailing, useless, delusive, nugatory, unimportant, vapid, empty, null,
unprofitable, visionary, fruitless, profitless, unreal, worthless.
Vain (L. vanus, empty) keeps the etymological idea through all changes of meaning; a vain endeavor is empty
of result, or of adequate power to produce a result, a vain pretension is empty or destitute of support, a vain
person has a conceit that is empty or destitute of adequate cause or reason. That which is bootless, fruitless, or
profitless fails to accomplish any valuable result; that which is abortive, ineffectual, or unavailing fails to
accomplish a result that it was, or was supposed to be, adapted to accomplish. That which is useless, futile, or
vain is inherently incapable of accomplishing a specified result. Useless, in the widest sense, signifies not of
use for any valuable purpose, and is thus closely similar to valueless and worthless. Fruitless is more final
than ineffectual, as applying to the sum or harvest of endeavor. That which is useless lacks actual fitness for a
purpose; that which is vain lacks imaginable fitness. Compare VACANT; OSTENTATION; PRIDE.
Antonyms:
adequate, effective, powerful, solid, useful, advantageous, efficient, profitable, sound, valid, beneficial,
expedient, real, substantial, valuable, competent, potent, serviceable, sufficient, worthy.
Compare synonyms for UTILITY.
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VENAL.
Synonyms:
hireling, mercenary, purchasable, salable.
Venal (L. venalis, from venum, sale) signifies ready to sell one's influence, vote, or efforts for money or other
consideration; mercenary (L. mercenarius, from merces, pay, reward) signifies influenced chiefly or only by
desire for gain or reward; thus, etymologically, the mercenary can be hired, while the venal are openly or
actually for sale; hireling (AS. hyrling, from hyr) signifies serving for hire or pay, or having the spirit or
character of one who works or of that which is done directly for hire or pay. Mercenary has especial
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application to character or disposition; as, a mercenary spirit; mercenary motives--i. e., a spirit or motives to
which money is the chief consideration or the moving principle. The hireling, the mercenary, and the venal
are alike in making principle, conscience, and honor of less account than gold or sordid considerations; but the