conceit

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con·ceit

(kən-sēt′)

a. Unduly favorable estimation of one's own abilities or worth; overly positive self-regard.

b. Archaic Estimation or opinion of something, especially when favorable.

a. A witty expression or fanciful idea: "opinionated and very funny in his conceits" (Paul Theroux).

b. A fanciful poetic image, especially an elaborate or exaggerated comparison.

c. Obsolete The result of intellectual activity; a thought or an opinion.

a. A decorative article; a knickknack.

b. An extravagant, fanciful, and elaborate construction or structure: "a bulky stone conceit with its paws clenched" (Edie Meidev).

tr.v. con·ceit·ed, con·ceit·ing, con·ceits

1. Chiefly British To take a fancy to.

2. Obsolete To understand; conceive.

[Middle English, mind, conception, from Anglo-Norman conceite, from Late Latin conceptus; see concept.]

Synonyms: conceit, egoism, egotism, narcissism, vanity
These nouns denote excessively high regard for oneself: boasting that reveals conceit; the blatant egoism of his self-flattering memoir; arrogance and egotism that were obvious from her actions; narcissism that shut out everyone else; wounded his vanity by looking in the mirror.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

conceit

(kənˈsiːt)

1. a high, often exaggerated, opinion of oneself or one's accomplishments; vanity

2. (Literary & Literary Critical Terms) literary an elaborate image or far-fetched comparison, esp as used by the English Metaphysical poets

3. archaic

a. a witty expression

b. fancy; imagination

c. an idea

4. obsolete a small ornament

vb (tr)

5. dialect Northern English to like or be able to bear (something, such as food or drink)

6. obsolete to think or imagine

[C14: from conceive]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

con•ceit

(kənˈsit)

1. an excessively favorable opinion of one's own ability, importance, wit, etc.; vanity.

2. a fancy or whim.

3. an elaborate, fanciful metaphor, esp. of a strained or far-fetched nature.

4. something conceived in the mind; a thought; idea.

5. a fancy, purely decorative article.

v.t.

6. Obs.

a. to imagine.

b. to apprehend.

[1350–1400; Middle English, derivative of conceive, by analogy with deceive]

conceit

Past participle: conceited
Gerund: conceiting

Imperative
conceit
conceit

Present
I conceit
you conceit
he/she/it conceits
we conceit
you conceit
they conceit

Preterite
I conceited
you conceited
he/she/it conceited
we conceited
you conceited
they conceited

Present Continuous
I am conceiting
you are conceiting
he/she/it is conceiting
we are conceiting
you are conceiting
they are conceiting

Present Perfect
I have conceited
you have conceited
he/she/it has conceited
we have conceited
you have conceited
they have conceited

Past Continuous
I was conceiting
you were conceiting
he/she/it was conceiting
we were conceiting
you were conceiting
they were conceiting

Past Perfect
I had conceited
you had conceited
he/she/it had conceited
we had conceited
you had conceited
they had conceited

Future
I will conceit
you will conceit
he/she/it will conceit
we will conceit
you will conceit
they will conceit

Future Perfect
I will have conceited
you will have conceited
he/she/it will have conceited
we will have conceited
you will have conceited
they will have conceited

Future Continuous
I will be conceiting
you will be conceiting
he/she/it will be conceiting
we will be conceiting
you will be conceiting
they will be conceiting

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been conceiting
you have been conceiting
he/she/it has been conceiting
we have been conceiting
you have been conceiting
they have been conceiting

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been conceiting
you will have been conceiting
he/she/it will have been conceiting
we will have been conceiting
you will have been conceiting
they will have been conceiting

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been conceiting
you had been conceiting
he/she/it had been conceiting
we had been conceiting
you had been conceiting
they had been conceiting

Conditional
I would conceit
you would conceit
he/she/it would conceit
we would conceit
you would conceit
they would conceit

Past Conditional
I would have conceited
you would have conceited
he/she/it would have conceited
we would have conceited
you would have conceited
they would have conceited

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	conceit - feelings of excessive pride amour propre, self-love, vanity pride, pridefulness - a feeling of self-respect and personal worth
	2.	conceit - an elaborate poetic image or a far-fetched comparison of very dissimilar things figure of speech, trope, image, figure - language used in a figurative or nonliteral sense
	3.	conceit - a witty or ingenious turn of phrase; "he could always come up with some inspired off-the-wall conceit" turn of expression, turn of phrase - a distinctive spoken or written expression; "John's succinct turn of phrase persuaded her that it would not be a good idea"
	4.	conceit - an artistic device or effect; "the architect's brilliant conceit was to build the house around the tree" device - something in an artistic work designed to achieve a particular effect
	5.	conceit - the trait of being unduly vain and conceited; false pride conceitedness, vanity trait - a distinguishing feature of your personal nature narcism, narcissism, self-love - an exceptional interest in and admiration for yourself; "self-love that shut out everyone else" boastfulness, vainglory - outspoken conceit egotism, swelled head, self-importance - an exaggerated opinion of your own importance posturing - adopting a vain conceited posture humility, humbleness - a disposition to be humble; a lack of false pride; "not everyone regards humility as a virtue"

conceit

noun

1. self-importance, vanity, arrogance, complacency, pride, swagger, narcissism, egotism, self-love, amour-propre, vainglory He knew, without conceit, that he was considered a genius.

3. (Archaic) fancy, thought, idea, opinion, belief, notion, fantasy, judgment, vagary, whimsy the conceit that God has placed the creature of His image in the center of the cosmos

Quotations
"As for conceit, what man will do any good who is not conceited? Nobody holds a good opinion of a man who has a low opinion of himself" [Anthony Trollope Orley Farm]

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

conceit

noun

1. A regarding of oneself with undue favor:

2. An impulsive, often illogical turn of mind:

bee, boutade, caprice, fancy, freak, humor, impulse, megrim, notion, vagary, whim, whimsy.

verb

Chiefly British. To find agreeable:

Translations

إعْتِداد بِالنَّفْس، إعْجاب بِالذّات

domýšlivostješitnost

indbilskhed

sjálfbirgingsháttur, mont

うぬぼれ

linkęs puikuotispasipūtimaspuikybė

augstprātībaiedomība

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

conceit

he is wise in his own conceit (liter) → er dünkt sich weise (liter)

(Liter) → Konzetto nt

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

conceit

(kənˈsiːt) noun

too much pride in oneself. He's full of conceit about his good looks.

conˈceited adjective

having too much pride in oneself. She's conceited about her artistic ability.

conceit is spelt with -ei-.