hypocrite
Americannoun
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hypocrites
plural
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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.
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a person who feigns some desirable or publicly approved attitude, especially one whose private life, opinions, or statements belie their public statements.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of hypocrite
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) ( see hypocrisy) + -tēs agent suffix
Explanation
A hypocrite preaches one thing, and does another. You're a hypocrite if you criticize other people for wearing fur, but pull out your big mink jacket as soon as it gets cold. The word hypocrite is rooted in the Greek word hypokrites, which means “stage actor, pretender, dissembler.” So think of a hypocrite as a person who pretends to be a certain way, but really acts and believes the total opposite. Hypocrites usually talk a big talk but fail to follow their own rules — like an outspoken vegetarian who secretly eats bacon.
Vocabulary lists containing hypocrite
The Hate U Give
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The Autobiography of Malcolm X
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"Thanksgiving: A Personal History"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
This is, in part, why I’m surprised at Gen Z’s dismissal of Holden Caulfield as a whiny white rich-kid hypocrite.
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026
That set off a firestorm of comments about whether or not Grantham was a hypocrite.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026
I’m the hypocrite who’s stayed up for Jake Paul’s boxing matches.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 26, 2026
He’s a soulless hypocrite, another of today’s clout-seeking grifters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2025
Some reggae chants meet me in the hall, followed by Kendrick Lamar rapping about being a hypocrite.
From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
Effron cautions against labeling other people as hypocrites.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2025
“My hope is that I’m getting to bring one of the greatest hypocrites to life in a way that will both make people laugh and also make them recognize that archetype.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2025
I worry that it is turning us into hypocrites who, when it comes to the privacy of our conversations, have higher expectations for how others should treat us than for how we treat others.
From Slate ● Aug. 16, 2023
Rosenblum snaps back to the beginning of the summer, where she lays out her rogues’ gallery of gossips, hypocrites, cheaters.
From New York Times ● Jun. 16, 2023
The truth that Mom and Dad aren’t just hypocrites.
From "P.S. I Miss You" by Jen Petro-Roy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
