Definition of conceitnext
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

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2
3

conceit

2 of 2

verb

chiefly dialect

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
Noun
Even if Della Francesca was an early Renaissance master rather than a neoclassicist, McGirr’s conceit sparked a certain curiosity. — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 21 Sep. 2026 There’s this funny conceit that all the people in Slough House are a bit of screwups, but the show also gets very emotional and suspenseful, and the stakes are often very high. — Lisa De Los Reyes, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026 Here, Boucheron wisely resisted overworking the conceit, letting the garden provide the backdrop. — Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2026 But the conceit, coupled with an expert but low-key approach to service, works beautifully. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for conceit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conceit
Noun
  • Or obliterate the self—dying of shame is not always a metaphor.
    — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Bogs are metaphors for situations that interfere with you and your goals.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Pokémon cards, a pricey Ferrari shirt and a touristy museum of illusions.
    — Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Rubin, who is also a children's book author and magician, has spent years working in the world of illusion and performance.
    — Danielle Minnetian, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Rather than through a cold call or email, the scammers lure them through websites offering self-publishing or vanity publishing.
    — Snigdha Poonam, The Dial, 13 Oct. 2026
  • And the angelic youth Dorian Gray’s deadly descent into vanity and vice—ignited by a hubristic obsession with his own image—eerily foreshadows the grim trajectory of Wilde’s later years.
    — Hannah Aizenman, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Yet their willingness to talk, listen, and imagine what had seemed impossible helped lay the groundwork for historic nuclear arms reductions.
    — Halla Tómasdóttir, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The sense that a resume goes straight into a black box isn’t imagined – applications per job have more than doubled since 2022, and the average company now has 56% fewer recruiters to review them.
    — Owen Humphries, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • In a matter of weeks, when the midterm results are tallied and the next campaign begins, Democrats with presidential dreams know the question will be coming.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • In his dreams, Jose Fiscal Belli is still living an all-American life with his all-American family.
    — Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Both teams now limp into Saturday's game in Austin with bruised bodies and egos, and carrying a whiff of desperation for a win to keep the season from unraveling.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Did that feel like a parody of my ego, or also a way to make fun of it?
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Johan Enslin, an ARPA-E program director, envisions a grid in which power can be converted, directed and managed automatically—much like the way data are routed around the Internet—rather than merely stepped up or down.
    — Alex Pasternack, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Advocates envision it as a bucket-list destination akin to the Pacific Crest Trail and an economic driver for struggling rural towns.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The two of them crafted a business plan for a bookstore, one that wouldn’t look out of place in a sword and sorcery fantasy novel, with a hidden speakeasy.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
  • From this spirited competition emerged two progenitors of modern horror, science fiction, and fantasy.
    — Maria Papadouris, JSTOR Daily, 20 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Conceit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conceit. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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