hypocritical
adjective
hyp·o·crit·i·cal
ˌhi-pə-ˈkri-ti-kəl 
: 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 virtue—
Robert Graves
Robert Graves
also
: being a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings : being a hypocrite
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
What to Know Condemning Western criticism of Iran's military development as hypocritical, Khamenei stressed the importance of both physical and psychological warfare, according to state media.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
Republicans, meanwhile, have suggested Democrats are being hypocritical about Musk’s involvement, noting that liberals like Pritzker and Soros are also wading into the race.
—Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 30 Mar. 2025
Not his mother’s death but Israel, Gaza, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Palestinians, the Arabs, the Muslims, the hypocritical leftists.
—David Bezmozgis, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2025
That sounds a little hypocritical to me.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hypocritical
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Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
Republicans, meanwhile, have suggested Democrats are being hypocritical about Musk’s involvement, noting that liberals like Pritzker and Soros are also wading into the race.
—Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 30 Mar. 2025
Not his mother’s death but Israel, Gaza, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Palestinians, the Arabs, the Muslims, the hypocritical leftists.
—David Bezmozgis, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2025
That sounds a little hypocritical to me.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hypocritical
Cite this Entry
“Hypocritical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypocritical. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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