Word
hypocrisy
US/hɪˈpɑkɹəsi/
UK/hɪpˈɒkɹəsi/
Definitions
01moral self-contradiction
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. the act of saying you believe in certain good things but then doing the opposite.
n. the practice of engaging in the same behaviour for which one criticises others, or claiming to possess virtues that one's actions belie.
“It was pure hypocrisy for the boss to complain about lateness when he was always late himself.”
“The politician's hypocrisy was exposed when journalists discovered he had been evading the very taxes he had publicly campaigned to increase.”
Pitfall
He is a hypocrisy.
He is a hypocrite.
Use 'hypocrisy' for the concept or the action, but use 'hypocrite' to describe the person.
Synonyms
02a specific instance
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Formal
n. a specific example or case where someone has been insincere or used a double standard.
n. a particular instance or occurrence of hypocritical behaviour. Countable in this sense.
“The report listed several hypocrisies in the company's environmental policy.”
“Critics were quick to point out the various hypocrisies inherent in the administration's new stance on international trade.”
Real-World Examples
“You’re all on email for work, you’re meeting people on Hinge, you’ve got Ring doorbells for your parcels.’ The show attacks that hypocrisy.” “The hypocrisy was pointed out by nearly everyone, as several beer companies serve as some of the NFL's largest and most visible corporate sponsors, with ads in every commercial break during games, signage and concession sales having a huge presence inside all the league's stadiums, and teams even having their own individual partnerships with beer brands.” “Charges of hypocrisy do not land if the supposed hypocrite is not committed to any kind of consistency in the first place” “It's the height of hypocrisy if the U.S. is one day sentencing the guy to 40 months in prison and the next give him the highest reward,” Pirmin Bischof of the centre-right Christian Democrats and a member of parliament's upper house told Reuters.” Etymology
From hypo- + Ancient Greek κρί(σις) (krí(sis)) + -isy. From Middle English ipocrisie, from Old French ypocrisie, from Late Latin hypocrisis, from Ancient Greek ὑπόκρισις (hupókrisis, “answer, stage acting, pretense”), from ὑποκρίνομαι (hupokrínomai, “I answer (a fellow actor on stage), play a part, dissemble, feign”), from ὑπό (hupó, “under, equivalent of the modern "hypo-" prefix”) + the middle voice of κρίνω (krínō, “I separate, judge, decide”) + -isy. Displaced native Old English līċettung.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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