sb. Also vain-glory, vain glory. Forms: see VAIN a. and GLORY sb. [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. trans. 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, trans. 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 Monm., trans. 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. Miss 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. Hon 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. Shaks., 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 Vainglory v. † a. refl. To exalt or make much of (oneself) unduly. Obs. b. intr. To indulge in vainglory. Also Vainglorying vbl. sb.
a. 1637. N. Ferrar, trans. Valdés’ 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.
