How to say "Vain" in Japanese

When translating "vain" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between いたずらに and 徒労. In Japanese, いたずらに (いたずらに (itazura ni)) is typically associated with "in vain, uselessly, fruitlessly, unnecessarily" (Syllabus Level: N2) and represents Expresses that efforts, time, or resources were wasted or spent without achieving a desired outcome; often implies futility or pointlessness.. On the other hand, 徒労 (とろう (torou)) maps to "vain effort, fruitless labor, wasted effort" (Syllabus Level: N1) and represents Refers to effort or hard work that ultimately yields no results or proves to be pointless. Often used when someone realizes their efforts were for nothing.. A literal translation of "vain" can often sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers if mixed up!