1
as in metaphors
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 illusions
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
as in imagines
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 conceits
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
One of Yellow Letters’s most interesting conceits is that German cities play Turkish ones throughout.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026
There’s something about those ideas that are big, silly, cinematic, surreal conceits that drew me in.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 24 Nov. 2025
One of Weapons’ conceits is its chapter structure centering on particular characters, and sources say that Cregger actually had a chapter focused on Gladys and some of her backstory.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 22 Aug. 2025
All the conceits of a true-crime film are there – the lead detective interviews, shaky images from police-cams, the salacious headlines, the nauseating crime scene photos, the TV news reports, teary interviews with friends and family.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2025
Noun
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
One of Yellow Letters’s most interesting conceits is that German cities play Turkish ones throughout.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026
There’s something about those ideas that are big, silly, cinematic, surreal conceits that drew me in.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 24 Nov. 2025
One of Weapons’ conceits is its chapter structure centering on particular characters, and sources say that Cregger actually had a chapter focused on Gladys and some of her backstory.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 22 Aug. 2025
All the conceits of a true-crime film are there – the lead detective interviews, shaky images from police-cams, the salacious headlines, the nauseating crime scene photos, the TV news reports, teary interviews with friends and family.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conceits
Noun
-
Trimmers, by contrast, tend to use organic metaphors, not mechanical ones.—
David Brooks,
The Atlantic,
25 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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But then, over the course of several viewings, new recognitions dawned—on the social contract, illusions of class, and the artist’s deft use of color in this gorgeous study of red, white, and blue.—
Laura Brown,
Artforum,
25 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
Verb
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The series’ first real twist is that the paranoid conspiracy Rachel imagines is in fact a bait-and-switch for what’s going on here.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Shah then enters with a verse that imagines a more just country.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Deep down, the different approaches flow from contrasting visions of human nature.—
David Brooks,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Disturbing visions and a shocking disappearance forces him to confront dark corners of his past.—
William Earl,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The team envisions the wristband becoming a primary tool for virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR).—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Derwinski envisions the new park being used for multiple events including such things as Fourth of July fireworks displays.—
Deborah Laverty,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Less dangerous but more common are fantasies and hallucinations, which Laye believes result from general fatigue.—
Brad Stulberg,
Outside,
26 Mar. 2026
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Mamdani’s housing agenda, so far, is built on a foundation of headlines, slogans and fiscal fantasies.—
Ann Korchak,
New York Daily News,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Wang is now assistant professor of literary arts at Brown University, but still dreams of a life in Italy.—
Julia Buckley,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Claire meets Cherokee healer Adawehi, who dreams of Claire becoming a white raven with magical powers.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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More than masturbatory daydreams, Vladimir inspires our heroine to write with abandon, ignoring professional and personal obligations in service to her muse.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
5 Mar. 2026
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Below, some of the finest, high-quality ruffled bedding around the web for creating the frothy bedscape of your daydreams.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Conceits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conceits. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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