1
as in metaphor
an elaborate or fanciful way of expressing something
the conceit that the crowd at the outdoor rock concert was a vast sea of people waving to the beat of the music
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in illusion
a conception or image created by the imagination and having no objective reality
his dream of swimming in the Olympics is nothing more than a conceit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in vanity
an often unjustified feeling of being pleased with oneself or with one's situation or achievements
even though her novels are enormously popular, the writer is more prone to humility than to conceit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to imagine
to form a mental picture of
after a huge meal like that, I cannot conceit eating another thing for the rest of the day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of conceit
David Sims, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
The film is based on a viral conceit about a digital maze that exists outside of reality.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026
Aks and Pinder’s underlying conceit is believable enough.
—Literary Hub, 11 Mar. 2026
In those earlier pictures, metaphysical conceits became visual and dramatic gambits as the filmmakers set out to colonize the vast interior worlds of, respectively, the mind and the spirit.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for conceit
Noun
The Christophers introduces itself as another indie spin on a familiar conceit, then heads in a much more empathetic direction than Soderbergh’s usual portrayal of burglars on the down-low.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
The film is based on a viral conceit about a digital maze that exists outside of reality.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026
Aks and Pinder’s underlying conceit is believable enough.
—Literary Hub, 11 Mar. 2026
In those earlier pictures, metaphysical conceits became visual and dramatic gambits as the filmmakers set out to colonize the vast interior worlds of, respectively, the mind and the spirit.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for conceit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conceit
Noun
-
Body language is a metaphor that has become a cliché, but anyone who has spent much time at all around other people understands that everyone speaks in a different dialect.—
Ellen Cushing,
The Atlantic,
3 May 2026
-
This is a reminder that universalism, too, comes in many forms, spanning suffering as well as spirituality, materiality as well as metaphor.—
Glenn Adamson,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
Masks are slipping and illusions are fading.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
6 May 2026
-
The United States, searching for self-definition but loath to lose its illusions—its innocence—needed all of this as a counterpoint.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Over the vanity hung a neon sign in curlicue magenta script.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Here there are a dual sink vanity, a roomy shower, and a soaking tub.—
James Alexander,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
But then Dwyer imagined a baroque process that could allow one avalanche to set off another, and another, and another, all right on top of each other.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
6 May 2026
-
But imagine the anticipation that will build — similar to last season when the Bears and Packers met for the first time in Week 14.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
In the first few episodes of Season 3, Cassie was seen pursuing a career on OnlyFans in order to save money for the wedding of her dreams.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
3 May 2026
-
Realization of childhood dreams can be that way, though.—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
In an era when youth sports can sometimes feel corrupted by money, pressure and adult ego, the Lee Corso Legacy Fund serves as a reminder of what sports are supposed to be about in the first place.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 May 2026
-
And today, as young fighters begin to be compared to him, there is no ego—only gratitude.—
Jorge Ebro
May 6,
Miami Herald,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Australian aboriginal peoples, meanwhile, saw a great boomerang in the stellar formation, while the Native American Shawnee tribe envisioned dancing star maidens.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
9 May 2026
-
The students on campus, with little information and more than enough vagueness to envision the worst, did just that.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
Similar to 2023-2024, realistic/contemporary and dystopia/sci-fi/fantasy remain the dominant genres banned in the 2024-2025 school year.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
-
My exterior gender and interior one were out of alignment, and every attempt to sync them—with corresponding clothes, a rich fantasy life, and standing up over the toilet bowl to pee, messily—ultimately failed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Conceit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conceit. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
