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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Recent Examples of conceits
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
One of Yellow Letters’s most interesting conceits is that German cities play Turkish ones throughout.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026
There’s something about those ideas that are big, silly, cinematic, surreal conceits that drew me in.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 24 Nov. 2025
One of Weapons’ conceits is its chapter structure centering on particular characters, and sources say that Cregger actually had a chapter focused on Gladys and some of her backstory.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 22 Aug. 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
Noun
In those earlier pictures, metaphysical conceits became visual and dramatic gambits as the filmmakers set out to colonize the vast interior worlds of, respectively, the mind and the spirit.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
One of Yellow Letters’s most interesting conceits is that German cities play Turkish ones throughout.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026
There’s something about those ideas that are big, silly, cinematic, surreal conceits that drew me in.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 24 Nov. 2025
One of Weapons’ conceits is its chapter structure centering on particular characters, and sources say that Cregger actually had a chapter focused on Gladys and some of her backstory.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 22 Aug. 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
Noun
-
The uniqueness is his metaphors.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Green’s list of eerie parallels included two swimming-pool metaphors and a climactic injury in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs and two strikes.—
Boris Kachka,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Archaeologists analyze the ancient painters’ creative use of the cave’s spatial definition to tell stories and create illusions of motion.—
Eric Kohn,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
-
In 2028, a 22-day fair is scheduled for June 7 to July 4 with a theme of magic and illusions.—
Luke Harold,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Unsettlingly directed by Donald Cammell, this adaptation of Dean Koontz’s 1973 novel of the same name imagines a smart home years before Nest, Ring, Roomba, and other devices become commonplace.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2026
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In his first feature, Kiluanji Kia Henda imagines the return of Marxism to Angola through public debate, urban interventions and personal stories.—
Emiliano de Pablos,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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While the film and television landscapes continue to evolve, this seems to us like the ideal time to bet on ourselves and champion strong material that brings our creative visions to life.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The first type is replete with hallucinations and delusions—voices, visions, grandiose beliefs, paranoia.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The broader strategy envisions widespread robotic integration across grid operations, with increasing autonomy over the coming years, positioning the sector as a major testbed for large-scale, real-world AI adoption, reports Robo Horizon.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Apr. 2026
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Healthcare Looking to the future, Goldsmith envisions himself as a thought leader in healthcare, a voice pushing for industry improvements.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But what Danielson says was intended as a symbolic protest escalated dramatically amid paranoid fantasies, prosaic miscommunications, and the false report of a gun.—
Tessa Stuart,
Rolling Stone,
23 Apr. 2026
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Inspired in part by Gillian Anderson’s compendium of women’s erotic fantasies, Want, as well as Nancy Friday’s My Secret Garden, Superbloom is, in theory, a manifestation of Ware’s deepest desires.—
Harry Tafoya,
Pitchfork,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Inspired by her magical storytelling and the world around him, Julián dreams of becoming a mermaid – sparking a dazzling journey from the borough’s sunlit streets to the mystical depths of the sea.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
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Josie Maran dreams of an ice cream truck.—
Kara McGrath,
Allure,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Just think of all those vacant Madonnas, structurally perfect compositions, and obedient daydreams of antiquity.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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The family car is a Mazda, but Zac daydreams of a Bugatti Veyron.—
Frank Langfitt,
NPR,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Conceits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conceits. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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