conceit
n.a belief that you are much more important or clever than other people. It can also mean a clever or original idea that shows off the writer's skill.
n.an exaggerated sense of self-importance or intellectual superiority. In a literary context, it refers to a clever or elaborate metaphor or figure of speech that displays the author's ingenuity.
“His arrogance was nothing more than a simple conceit.”
“The poet's use of a grand conceit comparing the heart to a clock demonstrates his mastery of metaphor.”
“While the protagonist's conceit makes him a difficult character to like, it also serves as a vehicle for the author's exploration of human hubris.”
“Occasionally, there are sketches that stretch the conceit almost to breaking point.”
“I was too preoccupied scanning his audience for potential assassins.” Harris’s framing conceit is that the text we are reading is Agrippa’s memoir, written in some haste and high feeling.”
From Middle English conceyte, formed from conceyven by analogy with pairs such as (Modern English) deceive~deceit, receive~receipt etc. Doublet of concept and concetto. Akin to Portuguese conceito.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.