hypocrite

[ hip-uh-krit ]

noun

1. a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that they do not actually possess, especially a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.
2. a person who feigns some desirable or publicly approved attitude, especially one whose private life, opinions, or statements belie their public statements.

hypocrite

/ ˈhɪpəkrɪt /

noun

1. a person who pretends to be what he is not

Derived Forms

• ˌhypoˈcritically, adverb
• ˌhypoˈcritical, adjective

Other Words From

• hypo·criti·cal adjective
• super·hypo·crite noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of hypocrite¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English ipocrite from Old French, from Late Latin hypocrita, from Greek hypokritḗs “a stage actor,” hence “one who pretends to be what he is not,” equivalent to hypokrī(nesthai) ( hypocrisy ) + -tēs agent suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of hypocrite¹

C13: from Old French ipocrite, via Late Latin, from Greek hupokritēs one who plays a part, from hupokrinein to feign, from krinein to judge

Example Sentences

That shows that De León is “a hypocrite,” Soto-Martínez said.

From Los Angeles Times

In the spring, Fairshake dropped more than $10 million on ads that called Porter a fake, an actor and a hypocrite.

From Los Angeles Times

Ramses — or at least the edited version of him we see on the show — is a hypocrite, someone who boasts that he “doesn’t try to follow traditional expectations of what masculinity should look like” and yet gives his fiancée a hard time for making choices about her body that create minor inconveniences for him.

From Los Angeles Times

Floyd himself is a veteran of the Spanish-American War with a vaguely Louisiana accent; he has little patience for the rules of Jay’s home, especially when the lord of the manor is such an obvious hypocrite.

From Los Angeles Times

He similarly denounced Washington as an imperial partner of Israel and an enabler of its crimes, as well as a hypocrite in theoretically promoting respect for the rule of law, while dismissing or even threatening international courts and supporting crackdowns at American colleges and universities when their students protested Israeli policies.

From Salon

Related Words

• bigot
• charlatan
• crook
• impostor
• phony
• trickster