conceits 1 of 2

noun

plural of conceit
1
as in metaphors
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in illusions
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

conceits

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of conceit, chiefly dialect
as in imagines
to form a mental picture of after a huge meal like that, I cannot conceit eating another thing for the rest of the day

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of conceits
Noun
The high-wire act that followed—in which performers had to make these bland conceits into something funny without, ostensibly, preparing any jokes in advance—introduced a tension that made sketch shows feel sedate and uneven by comparison. — Dan Brooks, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026 It is shockingly invested in a sense of security, from songs about taking a five-year relationship to the next level to tried-and-true musical and lyrical conceits. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026 This might actually be the first Yoshi platformer to not fully embrace a unique arts-and-crafts aesthetic in quite some time, considering how much Yoshi's Crafted World and Yoshi's Woolly World leaned fully into their papercraft and yarn conceits, respectively. — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 19 May 2026 Canet has to do some gymnastics to sell several of his conceits, and a few reveals land with the thud of too-easy convenience. — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026 There’s something about those ideas that are big, silly, cinematic, surreal conceits that drew me in. — John Hopewell, Variety, 24 Nov. 2025 All the conceits of a true-crime film are there – the lead detective interviews, shaky images from police-cams, the salacious headlines, the nauseating crime scene photos, the TV news reports, teary interviews with friends and family. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conceits
  1. metaphors
  2. illusions
  3. imagines
  4. visions
  5. envisions
  6. fantasies
  7. dreams
  8. daydreams
Noun
  • Still, his comedy is born of a remarkable sense of his own rootedness, and houses have served him well as metaphors.
    — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Both the black box and kill switch are what cognitive linguist George Lakoff and philosopher Mark Johnson call structural metaphors.
    — Trent Wintermeier, The Conversation, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of metaphors
Noun
  • Every Saturday morning, about 190 starry-eyed students ages 10 to 18 attend classes in everything from puppetry, mime and clowning to juggling, card tricks, illusions, mentalism, stage magic, theater production and escapology.
    — Julie Bourdin, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Pokémon cards, a pricey Ferrari shirt and a touristy museum of illusions.
    — Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of illusions
Verb
  • Rooms With the Hanoi Opera House just steps away, each of Capella Hanoi's 47 rooms and suites imagines the private quarters of an opera legend.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Swift appears as a spectral figure trying to warn Johnson that, based on her own experience, her rich husband has more sinister intentions than his current bride imagines.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of imagines
Noun
  • Some opening day effects are long gone, such as the illusion created by actual shifting doors at the start of the attraction, or visions of tumbling rubble near its beginning.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Polls now show the two running neck-and-neck in a race marked by sharply different visions for Brazil’s economy, security and place in the world.
    — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of visions
Verb
  • Martin envisions new housing projects along with restaurants as a part of reviving Main, where blight and neglect were steadily gaining ground until former Mayor Mike Walsh began a revitalization drive.
    — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The tech giant envisions a network of people’s personal AI agents interacting with businesses’ AI agents instead of navigating through a website.
    — Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of envisions
Noun
  • Though Klum sat in the makeup chair for nine hours to fulfill her reptilian fantasies, the highlight of her costume were the mechanical snakes on her head.
    — Lynsey Eidell, Glamour, 26 Oct. 2026
  • In this particular love club, some fantasies really do come true.
    — Megan O’Sullivan, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of fantasies
Verb
  • But there is still hope in a season with 13 games left and Super Bowl dreams flickering.
    — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Rounding out their trio is Hazel (Kennedi Reece), a sweet, naive young woman, completely sheltered by her conservative upbringing but determined to follow her Michelle Obama dreams.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of dreams
Noun
  • This helps warm up the imagination; daydreams, nightmares are easy ways in.
    — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The songs on Purdy also have the tone of journal entries, detailing haggard trips to the grocery store, daydreams about his young daughters’ glamorous adult lives, and observations about the banality of oppression.
    — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of daydreams

Browse Nearby Words

conceiting
conceits
conceivable
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Cite this Entry

“Conceits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conceits. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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