vão

See also: vao, vào, and va'o

Old Galician-Portuguese

Etymology

From Latin vānum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈβã.u/

Adjective

vão (plural vãos, feminine vãa, feminine plural vãas)

1. useless, ineffective

Derived terms

• en vão

Descendants

• Galician: van
• Portuguese: vão

Portuguese

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈvɐ̃w̃/ [ˈvɐ̃ʊ̯̃]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈvɐ̃w̃/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈvɐ̃w̃/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈbɐ̃w̃/

• Rhymes: -ɐ̃w̃
• Hyphenation: vão

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese vão, from Latin vānus (“empty”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁weh₂-. Cognate with Galician van and Spanish vano.

Adjective

vão (feminine vã, masculine plural vãos, feminine plural vãs)

1. vain
   1. pretentious, overambitious (excessively proud of oneself)

      Synonyms: convencido, desvanecido, enfatuado, gabarola, gabola, presunçoso, pretensioso, vaidoso, vanglorioso

      Antonym: modesto

   2. pointless; futile; useless; unhelpful

      Synonyms: inútil, fútil, frívolo

      Synonyms: útil, efetivo, eficaz

2. empty (containing nothing)

   Synonyms: vazio, vago

   Antonyms: ocupado, cheio

Noun

vão m (plural vãos)

1. a gap
2. a vacant spot
3. (architecture) a hole in the wall where a window or door is placed; a sliver, a breach
4. (architecture) the empty space below a staircase

Derived terms

• vão livre
• vão teórico
• vão total

Related terms

• desvanecer
• devanear
• em vão
• esvaecer
• esvair
• esvanecer
• vaidade
• vãmente
• vanglória
• vangloriar
• vanglorioso
• vaniloquência
• vaniloquente
• vanilóquio
• vaníloquo

 

Etymology 2

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese van, from Latin vādunt.

Verb

vão

1. inflection of ir:
   1. third-person plural present indicative/subjunctive
   2. third-person plural imperative