con
ceit
Plural
conceits
1
excessive pride in oneself or one's abilities, often manifesting as vanity or arrogance
- His conceit prevented him from acknowledging his mistakes, even when they were pointed out to him.
- She couldn't stand his constant boasting and conceit about his accomplishments.
- The king's conceit led to his downfall, as he underestimated the strength of his adversaries.
- Despite his conceit, he was unable to win the respect of his peers due to his lack of humility.
- Her conceit blinded her to the needs and struggles of those around her, making her appear selfish and uncaring.
Synonyms:
2
an unrealistic or overconfident idea or belief
- The plan collapsed because it was based on a conceit that success would be immediate.
- Her conceit that she could finish the project alone proved unrealistic.
- The conceit that technology can solve every problem is common but naive.
- Investors were misled by the conceit that the market would always rise.
- His conceit about winning the competition ignored practical obstacles.
3
an artistic device used to create a particular effect
- The painter used the conceit of distorted perspectives to convey tension.
- A conceit in the choreography emphasized the dancer's elegance.
- The architect's conceit of suspended walkways added drama to the building.
- Critics praised the film's conceit as bold and innovative.
- The conceit of repeating motifs reinforced the theme of memory.
4
an elaborate or far-fetched poetic image or comparison between very dissimilar things, used in literature
- John Donne's metaphysical poetry is famous for its conceits, such as comparing lovers to a compass.
- The poem's central conceit likened time to a thief.
- She wrote a conceit comparing the mind to a labyrinth.
- The literary conceit in the story linked a ship's voyage to human ambition.
- The conceit of the moon as a silent witness recurs throughout the poem.