hypocrite

[ hip-uh-krit ]
See synonyms for: hypocritehypocritical on Thesaurus.com

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.

Origin of hypocrite

1
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

Other words for hypocrite

Other words from hypocrite

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

Words Nearby hypocrite

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How to use hypocrite in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hypocrite

hypocrite

/ (ˈhɪpəkrɪt) /


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

Origin of hypocrite

1
C13: from Old French ipocrite, via Late Latin, from Greek hupokritēs one who plays a part, from hupokrinein to feign, from krinein to judge

Derived forms of hypocrite

  • hypocritical, adjective
  • hypocritically, adverb

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