hypocritical
adj.adj. behaving in a way that is different from what you tell other people to do. You use this when someone says one thing but does the opposite.
adj. characterised by the false claim of possessing higher standards or more noble beliefs than is actually the case. Often used predicatively after linking verbs like 'be' or 'seem'.
It is hypocritical to tell others to recycle while you throw away plastic.
The politician's stance on environmental protection was seen as hypocritical after he accepted donations from major oil companies.
Critics argued that the CEO's memo regarding corporate austerity was deeply hypocritical, given that he had recently approved a massive increase in his own executive compensation package.
From hypocritic + -al, from Ancient Greek ὑποκριτικός (hupokritikós), from ὑποκριτής (hupokritḗs, “actor, hypocrite”), from ὑποκρίνομαι (hupokrínomai, “I play a part on stage”), from ὑπό (hupó, “below”) + κρίνω (krínō, “I choose”).
Often follows a linking verb or precedes a noun; frequently takes the preposition 'of' when describing an action ('it was hypocritical of him').
he is a hypocriticalhe is a hypocriteLearners often use the adjective form when they need the noun 'hypocrite' to label a person.