Word
hypocrite
Phoneticshyp·ocrite
US/ˈhɪpəˌkɹɪt/
UK/hˈɪpəkɹˌɪt/
Countable noun
Definition
n. someone who says they have certain beliefs or high standards, but then acts in a way that goes against them. You use this when a person tells others how to behave but does not follow their own advice.
n. a person who professes to have certain beliefs, virtues, or principles that their own behaviour does not follow. Often carries a strong pejorative connotation regarding moral inconsistency.
Examples
“He is a hypocrite for telling us to save water while he wastes it.”
“The politician was called a hypocrite after he was caught breaking the very lockdown rules he had helped to create.”
“In literature, the hypocrite is often used as a foil to the earnest protagonist, highlighting the gap between public performance and private morality within a rigid social structure.”
Examples
simple
“He is a hypocrite for telling us to save water while he wastes it.”
contextual
“The politician was called a hypocrite after he was caught breaking the very lockdown rules he had helped to create.”
complex
“In literature, the hypocrite is often used as a foil to the earnest protagonist, highlighting the gap between public performance and private morality within a rigid social structure.”
Usage
Commonly used with the verb 'to be' or 'to call someone a'.
Pitfall
He is very hypocrite
He is a hypocrite / He is very hypocritical
Learners often use the noun as an adjective; use 'hypocrite' for the person and 'hypocritical' for the behaviour.
Etymology
From Old French ypocrite (Modern French hypocrite), from Latin hypocrita, from Ancient Greek ὑποκριτής (hupokritḗs, “actor, hypocrite”), from ὑποκρίνομαι (hupokrínomai, “I answer, act, feign”). Displaced native Old English līċettere.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
- 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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englishreference.com/q/hypocrite