conceit
kuhn-SEET
Conceit (noun) means an excessively high opinion of oneself; vanity. Example: “His conceit made him impossible to work with.”
noun
1
An excessively high opinion of oneself; vanity.
"His conceit made him impossible to work with."
"Despite his fame, he showed no trace of conceit."
2
A clever or fanciful idea, especially one used as a literary device.
"The novel is built around the conceit that the narrator is already dead."
How to use conceit
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither excessive pride in oneself, or a clever imaginative idea (especially in writing).
Common mistake
The "vanity" sense and the "literary idea" sense look identical but mean very different things — check context.
Common pairings
full of conceit
a literary conceit
sheer conceit
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Word forms
- Plural
- conceits
- Third person singular
- conceits
- Past tense
- conceited
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His _____ made him impossible to work with.
Etymology
From Middle English conceyte, shaped by analogy with pairs like deceive/deceit — ultimately from the same Latin root as "concept."
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for conceit
See all rhymes for conceit →Frequently asked questions
What does “conceit” mean?
The word “conceit” means an excessively high opinion of oneself; vanity. In plain terms, either excessive pride in oneself, or a clever imaginative idea (especially in writing).
How do you pronounce “conceit”?
“Conceit” is pronounced kuhn-SEET (/kənˈsiːt/ in IPA).
How do you use “conceit” in a sentence?
Here is “conceit” used in a sentence: “His conceit made him impossible to work with.”
What part of speech is “conceit”?
“Conceit” is a noun.
Where does the word “conceit” come from?
The word “conceit” comes from Latin. From Middle English conceyte, shaped by analogy with pairs like deceive/deceit — ultimately from the same Latin root as "concept.".
How many meanings does “conceit” have?
“Conceit” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: an excessively high opinion of oneself; vanity.
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