hypocritical
hip-uh-KRIT-ih-kul
/ˌhɪp.əˈkrɪt.ɪ.kəl/
Behaving in a way that contradicts one's stated beliefs, feelings, or moral standards.
Specifically highlights a gap between preached morals and actual personal behavior.
The story behind the word. In ancient Greek theater, a hypokrites was simply an actor wearing a mask on stage. Early Christian writers adopted the metaphor to describe people who wore moral masks—pretending to be righteous in public while living corrupt lives in private.
Word relationships
- sanctimonious: Sanctimonious emphasizes making a show of moral superiority, whereas hypocritical emphasizes failing to act according to preached rules.
- disingenuous: Disingenuous is feigning innocence, while hypocritical is acting contrary to declared morals.
- genuine: Genuine means authentic and consistent in character.
- upright: Upright means strictly honorable and honest.
Commonly confused with
- hypercritical: Hypercritical means excessively critical of others, whereas hypocritical means preaching standards one does not practice.
Word family
- hypocrite (noun): A person who acts in contradiction to stated beliefs.
- hypocrisy (noun): The practice of claiming to have moral standards to which one's behavior does not conform.
Collocations
- hypocritical stance
- hypocritical behavior
- hypocritical attitude
Idioms & expressions
- pot calling the kettle black
- practice what you preach
Example sentences
- "It was hypocritical of the senator to lecture the public on fiscal restraint after spending public funds on personal luxury." Political commentary
Memory hook
HYPO-CRITIC: under the mask, they CRITICize others while committing the same acts. Wearing a moral mask.
When not to use
Do not use for someone who simply changes their mind; hypocrites demand standards of others they ignore themselves.
Fun facts
- In ancient Greece, being called a hypokrites was a compliment praising your performance on stage!
Related words
Explore more words
duplicity, contradict, condescending, dissemble, impropriety, satirical
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