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
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Recent Examples of conceit
Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 20 Feb. 2026
The conceit here is that there are two boxes that help determine where the story leads.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Feb. 2026
Bateman’s questioning aside, the lack of research is a central conceit of the show, which launched during the pandemic as a pastime for friends and now hosts Will Arnett, Sean Hayes and Bateman.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 3 Feb. 2026
This particular title works best in a rather scrappier and more intimate staging, with a conceit that pays more homage to its B-movie origins.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for conceit
Noun
Based on a manga by Tomoko Yamashita, the series takes its name from the loose central conceit, in which one of the two main characters — sweet but sheltered 15-year-old Asa — keeps a journal recording her daily thoughts in the weeks and months following a car crash that takes her parents’ lives.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 20 Feb. 2026
The conceit here is that there are two boxes that help determine where the story leads.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 11 Feb. 2026
Bateman’s questioning aside, the lack of research is a central conceit of the show, which launched during the pandemic as a pastime for friends and now hosts Will Arnett, Sean Hayes and Bateman.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 3 Feb. 2026
This particular title works best in a rather scrappier and more intimate staging, with a conceit that pays more homage to its B-movie origins.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for conceit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conceit
Noun
-
That sentence is not a metaphor.—
Rachel O'Leary Carmona,
Rolling Stone,
22 Mar. 2026
-
The use of Boïto’s Mefistofele in Batman Begins turns the film and the opera into metaphors for each other.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
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More surprisingly, the checklist of stunts does lend itself to the film-with-in-the-film’s ever-unfolding, ad hoc script, with the boys wearing a very funny cut-out of Darby’s face to give the illusion of a leading man holding it all together.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
18 Mar. 2026
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Even the most die-hard anti-American cleric in the Iranian political system did not harbor illusions that Iran could defeat the United States in conventional ways.—
Daniel DePetris,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This produced a 1-inch overhang on the front and left side of the vanity cabinet.—
Tim Carter,
Hartford Courant,
21 Mar. 2026
-
The tale warned the Greeks about the dangers of vanity.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Easier, maybe, to imagine Blume rejecting the general proposition of an author biography, which seeks to root a subject’s work in their specific experiences, dislodging them from a supposedly neutral or unmarked position.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
18 Mar. 2026
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The last time was so long ago that Nash didn’t have a cell phone or even imagine being on a group chat with 12 teammates 30 years later.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Talking about our dreams for Chicago is a way to connect with people, to fortify our faith in each other and the possibility that Chicago can be closer to complete.—
Mary Schmich,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
-
And eventually, this did become a dream.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
So if our leader can check his ego, clearly the rest of us could check our ego.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Like their ego is being quieted .—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
And the economic importance of LEO, Pringle added, is far more than just the financial boom that venture capitalists are beginning to envision.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
21 Mar. 2026
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Walking through the memorial reminded me that land and buildings often become far more meaningful than the structures originally envisioned.—
Allen Buchanan,
Oc Register,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Last year, Massachusetts created the first curriculum for high school students designed to prevent gambling harm, focused on sports betting and daily fantasy sports.—
Suzy Khimm,
NBC news,
19 Mar. 2026
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Previously, O’Rourke had a major role alongside fellow Cognition clients Caitríona Balfe and Tobias Menzies in Starz’s historical fantasy series Outlander, based on the book series by Diana Gabaldon.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Conceit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conceit. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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