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
-
That really informed the story so much more than any other job, in terms of opening up the metaphors of film projection and damage inspection reports and how that might inform how Birdie kind of lives and thinks.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Salazar-Thompson’s witty script — packed with hilarious metaphors and similes (like comparing a woman’s firm grip on her purse to that of a two-toed sloth on a branch) — make for a consistently amusing trip back in time.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Only hours into the conflict, an errant strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ school in southern Iran served as a gut-wrenching reminder of the cost of such illusions, and a testament to the grim truth that those who pay most dearly for the fog of war are almost always the innocent.—
Karim Sadjadpour,
The Atlantic,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Miuccia Prada, herself a billionaire, has no illusions that the runway is a space for political grandstanding.—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Conversation imagines the war in Iran unfolding in a world powered mostly by wind, solar and batteries rather than oil and gas.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Reiter imagines the ultralight, streamlined Orca transporter serving roles as diverse as individual customers.—
C.C. Weiss
March 05,
New Atlas,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But there was more blank space to fill in on Issei’s end, with Season 2 swapping out fantasy sequences in Camille’s mind palace for Issei’s visions of black-and-white moonscapes to that effect.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Disturbing visions and a shocking disappearance forces him to confront dark corners of his past.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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John Fletcher Brooks, Hillsdale’s assistant director of communications and research, said the school also envisions the possibility of a K-12 school in the area.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
11 Mar. 2026
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His firm, Related Ross, envisions the quiet aircraft landing in West Palm Beach and one of his golf course properties north of the city.—
David Lyons,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
His synth work conjures the romantic fantasies of high-rises and all-white lounges that French musicians Jean-Luc Ponty and Wally Badarou once evoked in their ’80s albums.—
Kiana Mickles,
Pitchfork,
2 Mar. 2026
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Or perhaps you will be filled with private thoughts, fantasies and crushes about someone.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In this moving comedic drama set in postwar Rome, a working-class woman dreams of a better future for herself and her daughter while facing abuse at the hands of her patriarchal husband.—
Ut Community Press,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Malone dreams of becoming a hero, while struggling Texan Solomon Jackson (Asa Butterfield) seeks recognition by posting violent threats.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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 13 Mar. 2026.
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