What does "conceit" mean?
Something conceived in the mind; an idea, a thought.
Conceit
/kənˈsiːt/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Something conceived in the mind; an idea, a thought.
- Grammar: conceit is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: vanity, aberration, abnormality, abstract thought.
- Useful contrasts: fact, humbleness, humblings.
- Usage evidence: Her conceit about her beauty annoyed many people.
How to use "conceit"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "conceit" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "conceit" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "conceit" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "conceit" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "conceit" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "vanity" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "conceit", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Something conceived in the mind; an idea, a thought. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"In laughing, there ever procedeth a conceit of somewhat ridiculous."
- 2 the trait of being unduly vain and conceited; false pride wordnet
- 3 The faculty of conceiving ideas; mental faculty; apprehension. countable, uncountable
"a man of quick conceit"
- 4 an artistic device or effect wordnet
- 5 Quickness of apprehension; active imagination; lively fancy. countable, uncountable
"His wit's as thick as Tewksbury mustard; there is no more conceit in him than is in a mallet."
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 a witty or ingenious turn of phrase wordnet
- 7 Opinion, (neutral) judgment. countable, obsolete, uncountable
- 8 an elaborate poetic image or a far-fetched comparison of very dissimilar things wordnet
- 9 Esteem, favourable opinion. archaic, countable, dialectal, uncountable
"By him that me boughte, than quod Dysdayne, / I wonder sore he is in suche cenceyte."
- 10 feelings of excessive pride wordnet
- 11 A novel or fanciful idea; a whim. countable
"On his way to the gibbet, a freak took him in the head to go off with a conceit."
- 12 An ingenious expression or metaphorical idea, especially in extended form or used as a literary or rhetorical device. countable, rhetoric
"The “cyberspace” conceit allows him to dramatize computer hacking in nontechnical language, although I wonder how much his somewhat florid descriptions of the “bodiless exultation of cyberspace” will mean to readers who have not experienced the illusion of power that punching the keyboard of even a dinky little word-processor can give."
- 13 Overly high self-esteem; vain pride; hubris. uncountable
"Plum'd with conceit he calls aloud."
- 14 Design; pattern. countable, uncountable
"And yet I know not how conceit may rob the treasury of life when life itself yields to the theft;"
Verb
- 1 To form an idea; to think. obsolete
"Those whose […] vulgar apprehensions conceit but low of matrimonial purposes."
- 2 To conceive. obsolete, transitive
"[T]his Medicine he conceits worse than the Disesase."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Her conceit about her beauty annoyed many people."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "conceit"?
Common synonyms include: vanity, aberration, abnormality, abstract thought, act of thought, affectation.
How do you use "conceit" in a sentence?
Her conceit about her beauty annoyed many people.
How do you pronounce "conceit"?
Pronounced /kənˈsiːt/.
Etymology
From Middle English conceyte, formed from conceyven by analogy with pairs such as (Modern English) deceive~deceit, receive~receipt etc. Doublet of concept and concetto. Akin to Portuguese conceito.