Conceit
/kənˈsiːt/
nounC1
Definition
Conceit is when someone thinks they are better, smarter, or more important than others, often in a way that others see as too proud or foolish. It can also be a special, creative idea used in poems or stories to show something in a new way.
Was this helpful?
⚡ See It in Action
Too much pride or self-importance
- •His conceit made it hard for him to make friends.
- •She showed conceit when she ignored other people's ideas.
- •The actor's conceit was clear when he refused to listen to advice.
A clever or unusual idea in literature or speech
- •The poem uses a conceit comparing life to a journey on a river.
- •The writer’s conceit made the story more interesting.
- •Shakespeare’s conceits often surprise the reader with new meanings.
🧲 Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "conceit" like "pride" (A2 word), but pride that is too big and makes a person seem arrogant or silly
- ✓Picture someone looking in a mirror and thinking they are the best in the world, ignoring others
- ✓It feels like when you brag too much and others stop listening or feel annoyed
- ✓Sounds like "con-SEAT" → imagine someone sitting on a big throne, feeling very important and proud
- ✓In stories, conceit can be like a clever comparison or unusual idea that makes you think differently, like a poem comparing love to a ship on the sea
- ✓NOT like simple "pride" (which can be good and healthy), conceit is pride that is too much or shows bad behavior
- ✓NOT like "humility" (being humble and not proud), conceit is the opposite, showing too much self-love
🔄 Try Other Words
- •Arrogance: too much self-importance, often rude (Use when focusing on bad behavior from pride)
- •Vanity: pride about appearance or abilities (Use when pride is mostly about looks or talents)
- •Imagination: creative idea (Use when meaning the literary sense of conceit)
- •Metaphor: a figure of speech comparing two things (Use when talking about literary conceit as an unusual idea)
🔍 Unboxing
- •Word parts: from Latin "con-" (with, together) + "capere" (to take) → originally meaning "to take together" or "to take in"
- •Etymology: entered English in the 15th century, originally meaning "thought, idea," later also "prideful thought about oneself"
- •Historical development: shifted from meaning "idea" to also mean "excessive pride or self-love"
- •Modern usage: used mainly to describe someone’s foolish pride or a clever literary idea, especially in poetry and literature
💭 Reflect & Connect
•Can conceit sometimes help a person succeed, or does it always cause problems?
•How can you tell the difference between healthy pride and conceit in yourself or others?
Fill in the blanks with the correct word:
1.His conceit made him ___ advice from others, so he often made mistakes.
2.The poem’s conceit ___ life to a battle, helping readers see it in a new way.
3.Unlike pride, conceit often makes a person seem ___ or too full of themselves.
4.She showed conceit when she ___ about her talents in front of everyone.
5.Writers use conceit to create ___ and surprising ideas in their work.
6.Conceit usually causes problems because it makes people ___ to others’ feelings.
7.When someone has conceit, they believe they are ___ than everyone else.