Synonyms

hypocritical

American

[hip-uh-krit-i-kuhl] / ˌhɪp əˈkrɪt ɪ kəl /

adjective

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

hypocritically adverb
unhypocritical adjective
unhypocritically adverb

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. ); hypocrite ( def. )

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.

Most of these voters didn’t want to say that they like it when politicians are hypocritical.

From Salon • Mar. 4, 2026

He called his former party "incredibly hypocritical" for removing seven other councillors from its ranks in recent months.

From BBC • Jan. 16, 2026

Why you should let it fade: While the film’s premise is novel and the franchise is known for its big swings, the very existence of “Toy Story 5” feels too hypocritical.

From Salon • Jan. 4, 2026

It sounds extremely hypocritical because I write a Substack devoted to online shopping, but I find scrolling for hours on end a soulless experience.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 10, 2025

In a few years, I was not only penning columns, I was writing sports books, doing radio shows, and appearing regularly on TV, spouting my opinions on rich football players and hypocritical college sports programs.

From "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023