# hypocrite

/ˈhɪpəˌkɹɪt/ (US) · /hˈɪpəkɹˌɪt/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hypocrite
Updated: 2026-05-06

## Definition

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.

For teachers: 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.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He is very hypocrite" but "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.

## Usage notes

- Commonly used with the verb 'to be' or 'to call someone a'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.