hypocritical

adjective

hyp·​o·​crit·​i·​cal ˌhi-pə-ˈkri-ti-kəl How to pronounce hypocritical (audio)
: characterized by behavior that contradicts what one claims to believe or feel : characterized by hypocrisy
said that it was hypocritical to demand respect from students without respecting them in return
a hypocritical gesture of modesty and virtueRobert Graves
also : being a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings : being a hypocrite
hypocritically adverb

Examples of hypocritical in a Sentence

it's hypocritical to say mean things behind someone's back, and then to act nice when you want something from her
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Some even pointed to an interview Yang recently conducted with the pop star for Interview magazine, claiming that his comments seemed hypocritical in hindsight given the nature of his SNL performance. Stephen Daw, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2024 Movie masturbation scenes also highlight our culture’s hypocritical double standard. Caroline Madden, Vulture, 8 July 2024 The thumb has been placed on the scales to promote the agenda of the person who owns this website under the intensely hypocritical guise of free speech. Jason Parham, WIRED, 25 Oct. 2024 The result is an American policy that is seen by much of the world as doubly hypocritical. Zack Beauchamp, Vox, 4 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hypocritical 

Word History

Etymology

hypocritic "of a hypocrite" (borrowed from Medieval Latin hypocriticus, borrowed from Greek hypokritikós "of acting, skilled in rhetorical delivery," from hypokritḗs "answerer, actor on a stage" + -ikos -ic entry 1) + -al entry 1 — more at hypocrite

First Known Use

1553, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hypocritical was in 1553

Dictionary Entries Near hypocritical

Cite this Entry

“Hypocritical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypocritical. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on hypocritical

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!