Conceit is very great pride in your abilities or achievements that other people feel is too great.
[disapproval]
He knew, without conceit, he was considered a genius.
Pamela knew she was a good student, and that was not just a conceit.
Synonyms: self-importance, vanity, arrogance, complacency More Synonyms of conceit
2. countable noun
In literature, a conceit is a clever or unusual metaphor or comparison.
Critics may complain that the novel's central conceit is rather simplistic.
Synonyms: image, idea, concept, metaphor More Synonyms of conceit
More Synonyms of conceit
conceit in British English
(kənˈsiːt)
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
a.
a witty expression
b.
fancy; imagination
c.
an idea
4. obsolete
a small ornament
verb(transitive)
5. Northern England dialect
to like or be able to bear (something, such as food or drink)
6. obsolete
to think or imagine
Word origin
C14: from conceive
conceit in American English
(kənˈsit)
noun
1. Obsolete
a.
an idea; thought; concept
b.
personal opinion
2.
an exaggerated opinion of oneself, one's merits, etc.; vanity
3.
a.
a fanciful or witty expression or notion; often, specif., a striking and elaborate metaphor, sometimes one regarded, esp. formerly, as strained and arbitrary
b.
the use of such expressions in writing or speaking
4.
a flight of imagination; fancy
5.
a small, imaginatively designed item
verb transitive
6. Obsolete
to think or imagine
7. British, Dialectal
to think well of; take a fancy to
SIMILAR WORDS: pride
Word origin
ME conceite < conceiven, conceive; (sense 3) < It concetto, of same ult. orig.
Examples of 'conceit' in a sentence
conceit
That he will always be brought down by his conceit and vanity.
The Sun (2015)
The counterpoint of a huge tragedy with a smaller domestic one is a central conceit of the story.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The central conceit is that a local man has no memory of who he is or the town.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
It's a conceit rather than a concept.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
But it was the film 's thematic conceit that caused most offence.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
We were classically English in terms of arrogance and conceit.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
To imagine they do is merely a self-pitying form of arrogance and conceit.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
In the context of raucous comedy, the insanity conceit works well.
The Times Literary Supplement (2010)
To do so would be to puncture the book's central conceit.
The Times Literary Supplement (2013)
The show's central conceit is delightful.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
A grisly period detective story with a lighthearted literary conceit.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
But Straight is both underwritten and undermined by a whopping great central conceit that needs your goodwill to sustain it.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Anyone who has lived for long in the centre of our crowded cities will recognise the central conceit of Interiors.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Yet the other problem of the central conceit is that it very often leads him to tell stories that frankly aren't that interesting.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
A mouse is a stylistic invention, a literary conceit.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Quotations
As for conceit, what man will do any good who is not conceited? Nobody holds a goodopinion of a man who has a low opinion of himselfAnthony TrollopeOrley Farm
In other languages
conceit
British English: conceit NOUN
Conceit is too much pride in your abilities or achievements.
He knew, without conceit, he was considered a genius.
American English: conceit
Brazilian Portuguese: presunção
Chinese: 自命不凡
European Spanish: presunción
French: vanité
German: Einbildung
Italian: presunzione
Japanese: うぬぼれ
Korean: 자만심
European Portuguese: presunção
Latin American Spanish: presunción
1 (noun)
Definition
an excessively high opinion of oneself
He knew, without conceit, that he was considered a genius.
Synonyms
self-importance
vanity
Some people, motivated by vanity, choose not to use sun block.
arrogance
At times, the arrogance of those in power is quite blatant.
complacency
pride
His pride may still be his downfall.
swagger
narcissism
Their self-absorption borders on narcissism.
egotism
his amazing blend of egotism, superciliousness and stupidity
self-love
amour-propre
vainglory
2 (noun)
Definition
a far-fetched or clever comparison
(archaic)
Critics may complain that the novel's central conceit is rather simplistic.
Synonyms
image
The images in the poem illustrate the poet's frame of mind.
idea
concept
She added that the concept of arranged marriages is misunderstood in the west.
metaphor
the writer's use of metaphor
imagery
figure of speech
It was just a figure of speech.
trope
3 (noun)
(archaic)
the conceit that God has placed the creature of His image in the center of the cosmos
Synonyms
fancy
His interest was just a passing fancy.
thought
It is my thought that the situation will be resolved.
idea
Some of his ideas about democracy are entirely his own.
opinion
Most who expressed an opinion spoke favourably of her.
belief
It is my belief that a common ground can be found.
notion
the notion that musical ability is present from birth
He has a realistic notion of his capabilities.
fantasy
a world of imagination and fantasy
judgment
In your judgment, what has changed over the past few years?
vagary
a coat as a provision against the vagaries of the weather
protection against operational vagaries
whimsy
Quotation
As for conceit, what man will do any good who is not conceited? Nobody holds a good opinion of a man who has a low opinion of himself [Anthony Trollope – Orley Farm]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of arrogance
At times, the arrogance of those in power is quite blatant.
Synonyms
conceit,
pride,
swagger,
pretension,
presumption,
bluster,
hubris,
pomposity,
insolence,
hauteur,
pretentiousness,
high-handedness,
haughtiness,
loftiness,
imperiousness,
pompousness,
superciliousness,
lordliness,
conceitedness,
contemptuousness,
scornfulness,
uppishness (British, informal),
disdainfulness,
overweeningness
in the sense of belief
Definition
opinion
It is my belief that a common ground can be found.
Synonyms
opinion,
feeling,
idea,
view,
theory,
impression,
assessment,
notion,
judgment,
point of view,
sentiment,
persuasion,
presumption
in the sense of concept
Definition
an abstract or general idea
She added that the concept of arranged marriages is misunderstood in the west.