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
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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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of conceit
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2025
True to the conceit, each recipe includes three ingredients—with suggestions for add-ons and wine pairings.
—Wilder Davies, Bon Appétit, 17 Jan. 2025
The film’s sparse, handmade 16-mm aesthetic, which visually recalls influences ranging from early German Expressionism to the work of Guy Maddin, primarily sells the film’s outlandish fantastical conceit, despite its derivative nature.
—Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 25 Jan. 2025
Undeniably audacious in its plotting and conceit, Jacques Audiard’s musical about the wild odyssey of a transgender cartel boss in Mexico goes to places most movies wouldn’t dare, including a showstopper set during a transition surgery.
—Scott Tobias, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for conceit 
Noun
In constructing the central conceit of her play, Toossi is careful to designate each character’s accent: When teacher and students are speaking English, their accents are audible, from Elham’s heavier, less assured speech to Marjan and Omid’s relative speed and fluidity.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2025
True to the conceit, each recipe includes three ingredients—with suggestions for add-ons and wine pairings.
—Wilder Davies, Bon Appétit, 17 Jan. 2025
The film’s sparse, handmade 16-mm aesthetic, which visually recalls influences ranging from early German Expressionism to the work of Guy Maddin, primarily sells the film’s outlandish fantastical conceit, despite its derivative nature.
—Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 25 Jan. 2025
Undeniably audacious in its plotting and conceit, Jacques Audiard’s musical about the wild odyssey of a transgender cartel boss in Mexico goes to places most movies wouldn’t dare, including a showstopper set during a transition surgery.
—Scott Tobias, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for conceit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conceit
Noun
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For Giedi Prime, septic tanks became the visual metaphor associated with the Hardonnen and their morals of a sewer.—
Bill Desowitz,
IndieWire,
17 Feb. 2025
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Fueled by headlines, and theoretical metaphors attributed to the film ahead of release, there was an overwhelming desire to see Sam Wilson versus President Ross/Red Hulk serve as a direct allegory for liberal America’s fight against President Trump.—
Richard Newby,
The Hollywood Reporter,
16 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Your illusion of righteousness only fuels my authenticity.—
Natasha Dye,
People.com,
7 Feb. 2025
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Why deceive the public? Being sold on the illusion of a beautiful new unique structure that will be a great community addition.—
Contributed Content,
Twin Cities,
6 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The vanity table looks completely different now, as it has been restored and repainted to a mahogany color and given all-new brass finishes.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
5 Feb. 2025
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Not only is her pick from the beloved legacy brand a staple in vanities everywhere, but the shade itself has its share of avid fans.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Southern Living,
28 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Narratively, this is a big win for him; imagine if the album touted as the grand finale of his decade-plus career opened with numbers closer to that of Dawn FM’s opening week?—
Rania Aniftos,
Billboard,
11 Feb. 2025
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Already imagining how this Daytona SP3 will look in your garage?—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
11 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Many of the archival clips had been featured in one or more of the prior anniversary shows, like Martin and Gilda Radner frantically dancing together at a bar, or a short film where Phil Hartman and Jan Hooks shared a fantasy waltz.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
17 Feb. 2025
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Set in a fantasy version of the Brazilian Sertão, an arid wasteland where men can shapeshift into birds of prey, protagonist Assum Preto is taken as a child by Carcara, an outlaw who aspires to be a local legend.—
Jamie Lang,
Variety,
16 Feb. 2025
Noun
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On a team like this, with so many weapons and so many talented players, there is no room for ego.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN,
8 Feb. 2025
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Films follows Bradley Mack (Sutherland), a Hollywood action star with a bloated ego, who is blindsided when his iconic action franchise is abruptly canceled.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Built in 1941, the Cow Palace originally was envisioned as a showcase for livestock.—
Daniel Brown,
The Athletic,
14 Feb. 2025
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With space missions becoming more ambitious by the year, envisioning destinations like the far side of the Moon and Mars, astronauts' health will need to be prioritized more than ever.—
Jack Knudson,
Discover Magazine,
13 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Prosecutors allege Kouri killed her husband as a means to collect millions in life insurance funds and start her dream career in high-end real estate.—
Audrey Conklin,
Fox News,
14 Feb. 2025
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Louisiana, Arizona end pauses on capital punishment as 3 executions set for March Texas pastor with simple dream killed in his own church.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr.,
USA TODAY,
14 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near conceit
Cite this Entry
“Conceit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conceit. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.
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