Conceitful

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Excessively proud of oneself and one's abilities, often in an annoying or unjustified manner
2. Exhibiting a self-centered attitude marked by undue pride and arrogance regarding personal qualities, often leading to a disdainful view of others
3. Showing an inflated sense of self-importance and believing oneself superior to others

Etymology: "Conceitful" is a plain formation: the noun "conceit" with the suffix "-ful" attached, meaning full of conceit. "Conceit" itself has a more interesting past. It originally meant a notion, idea or fancy formed in the mind, and only later came to mean an excessively high opinion of oneself. The shift from "idea" to "vanity" is what gives the family of words its flavour, since a conceit in the older sense was simply something imagined, and an overblown self-image is just one imagined thing a person might hold too tightly. The suffix "-ful" means "full of" or "characterised by," as in "hopeful" or "fanciful," so "conceitful" describes someone whose manner is brimming with that self-regard. The word is a straightforward combination of two English parts, with the meaning following directly from the parts.

Synonyms: vain, arrogant, self-important

Antonyms: humble, modest