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View synonyms for

conceit

[ kuhn-seet ]

noun

  1. an excessively favorable opinion of one's own ability, importance, wit, etc.

    Synonyms: , , ,

    Antonyms:

  2. something that is conceived in the mind; a thought; idea:

    He jotted down the conceits of his idle hours.

  3. imagination; fancy.
  4. a fancy; whim; fanciful notion.
  5. an elaborate, fanciful metaphor, especially of a strained or far-fetched nature.
  6. the use of such metaphors as a literary characteristic, especially in poetry.
  7. a fancy, purely decorative article.
  8. British Dialect.
    1. favorable opinion; esteem.
    2. personal opinion or estimation.
  9. Obsolete. the faculty of conceiving; apprehension.


verb (used with object)

  1. to flatter (especially oneself ).
  2. British Dialect. to take a fancy to; have a good opinion of.
  3. Obsolete.
    1. to imagine.
    2. to conceive; apprehend.

conceit

/ əˈː /

noun

  1. a high, often exaggerated, opinion of oneself or one's accomplishments; vanity
  2. literary.
    an elaborate image or far-fetched comparison, esp as used by the English Metaphysical poets
  3. archaic.
    1. a witty expression
    2. fancy; imagination
    3. an idea
  4. obsolete.
    a small ornament
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. dialect.
    to like or be able to bear (something, such as food or drink)
  2. obsolete.
    to think or imagine
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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yvlog History and Origins

Origin of conceit1

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English conceyte, conceipt, derivative of conceive by analogy with deceive, deceit and receive, receipt; compare Anglo-French conceite; concept
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yvlog History and Origins

Origin of conceit1

C14: from conceive
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Idioms and Phrases

  1. out of conceit with, displeased or dissatisfied with.
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Synonym Study

See pride.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The construction-worker conceit is dropped faster than a stack of bricks.

From

Though the risks in “Black Bag” aren’t quite as conspicuous as the camera-as-a-ghost conceit of “Presence,” they pay off in equally breathtaking dividends.

From

The amnesia conceit allows the film to highlight its artificiality: painted backdrops, stages that recede into blackness, supporting players recast in multiple roles.

From

“The conceit that somehow you will intimidate me and the University of California will divest is silly and illogical. That’s never going to happen.”

From

Mistaken identity is a central conceit of the genre, and FastHorse takes this charade to another intellectual level.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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