hypocritical
Americanadjective
-
of the nature of hypocrisy, or pretense of having virtues, beliefs, principles, etc., that one does not actually possess.
The parent who has a “do what I say and not what I do” attitude can appear hypocritical to a child.
-
possessing the characteristics of hypocrisy.
Isn't a politician hypocritical for talking about human dignity while voting against reasonable social programs?
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of hypocritical
First recorded in 1515–25; equivalent to Greek hypokritik(ós) (from hypokritḗs “a stage actor” + -ikós -ic ( def. ) ) + -al 1 ( def. ); see hypocrite ( def. )
Explanation
Hypocritical involves acting in a way that goes against your stated beliefs. If you drive drunk despite the fact that you are the president of Students Against Drunk Driving, you are truly hypocritical. Hypocritical comes from the Greek hypokritikos which means acting a part. The word comes up most often when discussing political and religious figures who are sometimes caught engaging in behavior that goes against their professed beliefs. A person who engages in hypocritical behavior could be called a hypocrite, their behavior, an act of hypocrisy.
Vocabulary lists containing hypocritical
"The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe
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"The Tell-Tale Heart," Vocabulary from the short story
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Fake It 'Til You Make It: Synonyms for "False"
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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.
Californian Fred Karger, who made history in 2012 as the first openly gay person to run for president, had mixed views about the ad, calling it shrewd yet hypocritical.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
"Damon's Odysseus is stubborn, overconfident and sacrilegious, but doesn't bear that much resemblance to the conniving, hypocritical egotist of lore who fretted over his wife's fidelity," she noted.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
But it was extremely hypocritical of the U.S. to condemn the Barbary states for enslaving a few hundred Americans given, you know, the extensive enslavement of hundreds of thousands of Africans on American soil.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
This doesn’t make the equality proclaimed in the Declaration false or hypocritical.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
It seems a little hypocritical, coming from a man who didn’t finish high school.
From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
