Conceit vs. Narcissism — What's the Difference?

In modern literary criticism, more common with genre fiction, conceit often means an extended rhetorical device, summed up in a short phrase, that refers to a situation which either does not exist, or exists rarely, but is needed for the plot. "Faster than light travel" and "superior alien science" are examples from science fiction; the "hardboiled private gumshoe" is an example from detective stories.

Narcissism is the pursuit of gratification from vanity or egotistic admiration of one's idealised self-image and attributes. The term originated from Greek mythology, where a young man named Narcissus fell in love with his own image reflected in a pool of water.

Excessive pride in oneself

Excessive preoccupation with or admiration of oneself.

An ingenious or fanciful comparison or metaphor

A personality disorder characterized by an exaggerated sense of self-importance, need for admiration, and lack of empathy. Also called narcissistic personality disorder.

Unduly favorable estimation of one's own abilities or worth; overly positive self-regard.

Pleasure derived from contemplation or admiration of one's own body or self, considered in psychoanalytic theory to be a fixation on or a regression to an infantile stage of development.

(Archaic) Estimation or opinion of something, especially when favorable.

Excessive love of oneself.

A witty expression or fanciful idea

Sexual desire for one's own body.

A fanciful poetic image, especially an elaborate or exaggerated comparison.

An exceptional interest in and admiration for oneself.

(Obsolete) The result of intellectual activity; a thought or an opinion.

An exceptional interest in and admiration for yourself

A decorative article; a knickknack.

An extravagant, fanciful, and elaborate construction or structure

Chiefly British To take a fancy to.

(Obsolete) To understand; conceive.

(obsolete) Something conceived in the mind; an idea, a thought.

The faculty of conceiving ideas; mental faculty; apprehension.

Quickness of apprehension; active imagination; lively fancy.

(obsolete) Opinion, (neutral) judgment.

Esteem, favourable opinion.

(countable) A novel or fanciful idea; a whim.

An ingenious expression or metaphorical idea, especially in extended form or used as a literary or rhetorical device.

(uncountable) Overly high self-esteem; vain pride; hubris.

Design; pattern.

(obsolete) To form an idea; to think.

To conceive.

That which is conceived, imagined, or formed in the mind; idea; thought; image; conception.

Faculty of conceiving ideas; mental faculty; apprehension; as, a man of quick conceit.

Quickness of apprehension; active imagination; lively fancy.

A fanciful, odd, or extravagant notion; a quant fancy; an unnatural or affected conception; a witty thought or turn of expression; a fanciful device; a whim; a quip.

An overweening idea of one's self; vanity.

Design; pattern.

To conceive; to imagine.

To form an idea; to think.

Feelings of excessive pride

The trait of being vain and conceited