120. Conceit (See also Arrogance, Boastfulness, Egotism.)

1. Ajax (the lesser ) boastful and insolent; drowns due to vanity. [Gk. Myth.: Kravitz, 14]
2. Bunthorne, Reginald fleshly poet; “aesthetically” enchants the ladies. [Br. Lit.: Patience ]
3. Butler, Theodosius thinks he is a wonderful person. [Br. Lit.: Sketches by Boz ]
4. Collins, Mr. pompous, self-satisfied clergyman who proposes to Elizabeth Bennet. [Br. Lit.: Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice ]
5. Dalgetty, Rittmaster Dugald self-aggrandizing, pedantic soldier-of-fortune. [Br. Lit.: Legend of Montrose ]
6. Dedlock, Sir Leicester contemplates his own greatness. [Br. Lit.: Bleak House ]
7. Dogberry and Verges ignorant and bloated constables. [Br. Lit.: Much Ado About Nothing ]
8. Grosvenor, Archibald idyllic poet of no imperfections. [Br. Lit.: Patience ]
9. Henry VIII inflated self-image parallels bloated body. [Br. Lit.: Henry VIII ]
10. Homer, Little Jack pats his back with “What a good boy am I!” [Nurs. Rhyme: Mother Goose, 90]
11. Keefe, Jack baseball pitcher is a chronic braggart and self-excuser suffering from an exaggerated sense of importance. [Am. Lit.: Lardner You Know Me Al in Magill III, 1159]
12. Lewis self-important coxcomb full of hollow, ostentatious valor. [Br. Lit.: Henry V ]
13. Malvolio Olivia’s grave, self-important steward; “an affectioned ass.” [Br. Lit.: Twelfth Night ]
14. Montespan, Marquis de regards exile and wife’s concubinage as honor. [Br. Opera: The Duchess of la Valliere, Brewer Hand-book, 721]
15. narcissus flower of conceit. [Plant Symbolism: Flora Symbolica, 170; Gk. Myth.: Zimmerman, 171–172]
16. nettle symbol of vanity and pride. [Flower Symbolism: Flora Symbolica, 176]
17. Orion scorpion stung him to death for his boasting. [Rom. Myth.: Brewer Dictionary, 971]
18. Prigio, Prince too clever prince; arrogance renders him unpopular. [Children’s Lit.: Prince Prigio ]
19. Slurk, Mr. had a “consciousness of immeasurable superiority” over others. [Br. Lit.: Pickwick Papers ]
20. Tappertit, Simon boasted he could subdue women with eyes. [Br. Lit.: Barnaby Rudge ]

con·ceit / kənˈsēt/ • n. 1. excessive pride in oneself.2. . a fanciful expression in writing or speech; an elaborate metaphor: the idea of the wind's singing is a prime romantic conceit. ∎  an artistic effect or device: the director's brilliant conceit was to film this tale in black and white. ∎  a fanciful notion: he is alarmed by the widespread conceit that he spent most of the 1980s drunk.

conceit †conception, thought; personal opinion XIV; fanciful opinion, etc., fancy XV; for self-conceit XVII. f. CONCEIVE on the analogy of the pairs deceive, deceit, receive, receipt, which have French originals. The sense-development was infl. by It. concetto (cf. CONCEPT), which the Eng. word was prob. designed to represent.
Hence conceit vb. XVI. conceited XVI. f. vb. or sb.; see -ED 2.

conceit. Agreeable fabrique in a garden, usually whimsical, such as a bridge not spanning anything but there purely for ornament.