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
- 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. ); 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.
Most of these voters didn’t want to say that they like it when politicians are hypocritical.
From Salon • Mar. 4, 2026
"Beijing is also deeply suspicious of Takaichi and are likely to view her attempts to de-escalate without explicitly retracting her comments as hypocritical or, even worse, strategically deceptive," they added.
From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026
"Looks like a nerve was well and truly hit," said one person, while another called his post "hypocritical".
From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026
Backing away from causes such as LGBTQ+ rights doesn’t necessarily mean those corporations were once progressive and are now hypocritical.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 26, 2025
Like I was this hypocritical fake or something?
From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio
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.
