Conceit means an excessive pride in yourself or an unrealistically high opinion of your own abilities or importance. Someone showing conceit might constantly brag about how smart they are, refuse to admit mistakes, or act like they're better than everyone else.

You can spot conceit when a classmate dismisses other people's ideas without listening, assuming their own way is always best. Or when someone treats a small accomplishment as if they've done something absolutely extraordinary that no one else could possibly match. A person full of conceit might say things like “Obviously I got the highest score” or “This is so easy for me, I don't know why everyone else struggles.”

The word comes from the idea of “conceiving” or forming a thought, but in this case, it's forming an inflated thought about yourself. People sometimes use the related word conceited as an adjective: “She's so conceited that she can't imagine anyone not wanting to be her partner.”

Conceit differs from healthy confidence. Confident people believe in themselves but stay humble and recognize others' talents too. Conceited people think they're superior and often can't see their own flaws. While confidence helps you try new things and believe you can improve, conceit closes you off from learning because you already think you know everything.