conceit

The definition of conceit is a strong, exaggerated opinion of one's self.

(noun)

An example of conceit is having excessive pride in one's own intellectual abilities.

See conceit in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

Obsolete
1. an idea; thought; concept
2. personal opinion
an exaggerated opinion of oneself, one's merits, etc.; vanity
Origin: < It concetto, of same ult. orig.
1. a fanciful or witty expression or notion; often, specif., a striking and elaborate metaphor, sometimes one regarded, esp. formerly, as strained and arbitrary
2. the use of such expressions in writing or speaking
a flight of imagination; fancy
a small, imaginatively designed item

Origin: ME conceite < conceiven, conceive

transitive verb

See conceit in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

A favorable and especially unduly high opinion of one's own abilities or worth.
An ingenious or witty turn of phrase or thought.
a. A fanciful poetic image, especially an elaborate or exaggerated comparison.
b. A poem or passage consisting of such an image.
a. The result of intellectual activity; a thought or an opinion.
b. A fanciful thought or idea.
a. A fancy article; a knickknack.
b. An extravagant, fanciful, and elaborate construction or structure: “An eccentric addition to the lobby is a life-size wooden horse, a 19th century conceit” (Mimi Sheraton).