conceit

[ kuhn-seet ]
See synonyms for: conceitconceited on Thesaurus.com

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

  2. something that is conceived in the mind; a thought; idea: He jotted down the conceits of his idle hours.

  1. imagination; fancy.

  2. a fancy; whim; fanciful notion.

  3. an elaborate, fanciful metaphor, especially of a strained or far-fetched nature.

  4. the use of such metaphors as a literary characteristic, especially in poetry.

  5. a fancy, purely decorative article.

  6. British Dialect.

    • favorable opinion; esteem.

    • personal opinion or estimation.

  7. 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.

  1. Obsolete.

    • to imagine.

    • to conceive; apprehend.

Idioms about conceit

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

Origin of conceit

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English conceyte, conceipt, derivative of conceive by analogy with deceive, deceit and receive, receipt; compare Anglo-French conceite; see concept

synonym study For conceit

1. See pride.

Other words for conceit

Opposites for conceit

Words Nearby conceit

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use conceit in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for conceit

conceit

/ (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

  1. archaic

    • a witty expression

    • fancy; imagination

    • an idea

  2. obsolete a small ornament

verb(tr)
  1. Northern English dialect to like or be able to bear (something, such as food or drink)

  2. obsolete to think or imagine

Origin of conceit

1
C14: from conceive

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