two-faced

[ too-feyst ]

adjective

1. having two faces.
2. deceitful or hypocritical.

   Synonyms: false, dishonest, devious, treacherous

two-faced

/ -ˈfeɪst-; ˌtuːˈfeɪsɪdlɪ /

adjective

1. deceitful; insincere; hypocritical

Derived Forms

• ˌtwo-ˈfacedness, noun
• two-facedly, adverb

Other Words From

• two-fac·ed·ly [too, -, fey, -sid-lee, -, feyst, -lee], adverb
• two-faced·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of two-faced¹

First recorded in 1610–20

Example Sentences

According to Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, the oldest living two-faced calf survived for 40 days.

From Seattle Times

Her two-faced approach is an attempt to navigate her competing desires.

From Salon

The ancient Roman god Janus was two-faced, literally - with one looking forward and another backward, representing transitions and duality.

From Reuters

"If they really supported Dylan Mulvaney, they would have stood up for her... to everyone who protested. But they backed down. Both sides then see this as two-faced and inauthentic".

From BBC

In his evidence on Tuesday, he accused the newspaper's former editor Piers Morgan of "two-faced conduct".

From BBC