ppl. a. [f. CONCEIT sb. and v. + -ED.] I. Chiefly from the sb.
† 1. Of a person: a. Having a conceit, conception, intelligence, wit, a mind (of such a kind). Obs.
1542. Udall, Erasm. Apoph., p. xxvi. Merie conceipted.
1594. Marlowe & Nashe, Dido, III. O dull conceited Dido!
1598. Barret, Theor. Warres, I. i. 6. Your thirde quicke conceipted man.
1647. Lilly, Chr. Astrol., clxxix. 752. Humane, rationall, and pleasantly conceited.
† b. Having a good ‘conceit’: intelligent, ingenious, clever: said of persons and their works.
1593. Shaks., Lucr., 1371. Cloud-kissing Illion … Which the conceipted Painter drew so prowd.
1594. Plat, Jewell-ho., Sorts of Soyle, 33. Obseruations … such as I haue partely drawne from conceipted wits.
† c. Clever, witty, amusing: said of persons and their words or writings. Obs.
1598. B. Jonson, Ev. Man in Hum., III. ii. You are conceited, Sir.
1605. Camden, Rem. (1637), 403. A few conceited merry and laughing Epitaphes.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., II. ii. III. (1651), 259. The Egyptians … are commended to be … a conceited merry Nation.
1649. Ld. Herbert, Hen. VIII., an. 1534. The pleasure he had in his conceited and merry language.
1681. W. Robertson, Phraseol. Gen. (1693), 365. Conceited or witty, lepidus.
2. Having an opinion, opinioned, of opinion; esp. having an opinion of such a kind: -minded, -affected, -disposed. (Cf. CONCEIT v. 4.) Now dial.
1587. Fleming, Contn. Holinshed, III. 1552/2. Wherewith he could not but be pleasantlie conceipted.
1605. Verstegan, Dec. Intell., i. (1628), 6. The first language … whereof diuers haue bin diuersely conceited.
1649. Selden, Laws Eng., I. lxiii. (1739), 128. The people [were] well-conceited of the King’s aims.
1662. H. Stubbe, Ind. Nectar., ii. 10. Very unpleasant to taste, if they be not very well conceited thereof.
1664. Evelyn, Pomona (1729), 96. They are strongly conceited, that this addition … doth … meliorate their cider.
a. 1677. Barrow, Serm. (1683), II. ii. 27. To be well conceited, and well affected toward his Maker.
1877. Peacock, N. W. Lincolnsh. Gloss., I’m consated he’ll kill his sen’ wi’ drink.’
† b. Possessed with a good opinion of; = well-conceited in prec. Obs.
1624. Capt. Smith, Virginia, II. 34. Of our Chirurgians they were so conceited that they beleeued any Plaister would heale any hurt.
1669. Worlidge, Syst. Agric. (1681), 38. So much conceited of a Novelty.
1683. trans. Erasmus’ Moriae Enc., 45. Be yourself thoroughly conceited of your deserts.
1734. trans. Rollin’s Anc. Hist. (1827), I. III. 245. This proud nation fondly conceited of its antiquity.
† c. Well disposed, favorably minded, to. Obs.
1618. Latham, 2nd Bk. Falconry (1633), 14. Many men … will hardly be perswaded to be thereto conceited.
3. Having an overweening opinion of oneself, or one’s own qualities, etc.; vain. Orig self-conceited. (The principal existing sense.)
[1597. Thynne, in Animadv. (1865), Introd. 99. The selfe conceyted Mr. Savile, provoste of Eatone.
1751. Smollett, Per. Pic. (1779), II. lxix. 240. Assuming the air of a self-conceited dupe.]
1608–11. Bp. Hall, Medit. & Vows, Wks. 1837, VIII. 27. A conceited man must be a foole, for that overweening opinion he hath of himselfe, excludes all opportunity of purchasing knowledge.
1707. Hearne, Collect., 5 May, II. 11. He is one of the conceitedest men living.
1710. Lady M. W. Montague, Lett., lxvii. 111. A talking, impertinent, vain, and conceited creature.
1870. Emerson, Soc. & Solit., Clubs, Wks. (Bohn), III. 95. One of those conceited prigs who value nature only as it feeds … them.
1872. Darwin, Emotions, xiii. 331. The conceited are rarely shy; for they value themselves much too highly to expect depreciation.
b. Const. of († in) oneself, one’s own qualities.
1618. E. Elton, Expos. Romans vii. (1622), 190. They are highly conceited of themselues.
1734. trans. Rollin’s Anc. Hist. (1827), III. 81. Conceited of his own talents.
1736. Butler, Anal., I. vi. 157. Highly conceited in his superior knowledge.
1876. J. H. Newman, Hist. Sk., I. I. iv. 203. The less a man knows, the more conceited he is of his proficiency.
4. Fanciful, fantastical, whimsical. Now only dial. = Full of notions, fastidious.
1609. Shaks. (title), Troylus and Cresseid … with the conceited wooing of Pandarus Prince of Licia.
1649. Milton, Eikon., Pref. (1851), 332. The conceited portraiture before his Book … sett there to catch fools.
1681. W. Robertson, Phraseol. Gen. (1693), 365. Conceited or fantastical, ineptus.
1699. Bentley, Phal., 263. ’Tis a conceited word of the Poet’s making.
1855. Whitby Gloss., A consated body, a person given to foolish or nervous notions.
1864. Yorksh. dial., Kirkby (from correspt.). She was always very conceited over her food. The cows are that conceited they will not drink after the others.
† b. Fancifully dressed or attired. Obs.
c. 1575. G. Harvey, Letter-bk. (Camden Soc.), 98 Delicate in speeche, qweynte in araye, conceitid in all poyntes.
1595. S. Edwardes, in Shaks. Cent. Praise, 17. Stately troupes rich conceited.
II. From the vb.
5. Conceived, devised. arch.
1598. Sylvester, Du Bartas, I. i. (1641), 3/1. Some fantastick fore-conceited Plot.
1884. Symonds, Shaks. Predecess., xiii. 523. Some of the pictures in this play are daintily conceited.
† b. Imagined, fancied; imaginary. Obs.
1610. Guillim, Heraldry, II. iv. (1660), 56. A portion thereof, distinguished … only by a conceited line of partition, never heretofore heard of.
1665. J. Webb, Stone-Heng (1725), 220. His conceited Building of Stone-Heng by the Danes.
1667. Flavel, Saint Indeed (1754), 58. A guilty conscience is more terrified with conceited dangers, than a pure conscience is with real ones.
1703. Quick, Dec. Wife’s Sister, 27. Imaginary and conceited Expedients.
† 6. Ingeniously devised; ingenious. Obs.
1594. Plat, Jewel-ho., Title, Diuerse new and conceited Experiments. Ibid., Div. New Exper., 5. In my conceyted booke of gardening.
7. Fancifully made; ‘fancy.’ Obs.
1615. Markham, Eng. Housew., II. ii. (1668), 8. Banqueting fruit and conceited dishes.
1644. Evelyn, Diary (1827), I. 170. A conceyted chayre to sleep in with the legs stretcht out.
1682. Wheler, Journ. Greece, I. 74. A conceited Chariot, or, to tell the truth, a Cart.
