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

a hypocritical attitude/argument

said that it was hypocritical to demand respect from students without respecting them in return

a hypocritical gesture of modesty and virtue

—Robert Graves

also : being a person whose actions are contrary to their stated beliefs or feelings : being a hypocrite

… is famous for his … acidic takedowns of craven and hypocritical politicians.

—Brett Lang

hypocritically

ˌhi-pə-ˈkri-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Synonyms of hypocritical

• fake
• double
• meaningless
• superficial
• lip
• insincere
• strained
• hollow
• pretended
• artificial
• unnatural
• backhanded
• pious

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

Taylor is gobsmacked and runs back her mental tapes on Jessi being judgmental about Zac, which Taylor seems to find hypocritical. —Olivia Crandall, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025

Susan Shelley of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association blasted the pork-project spending as hypocritical, especially as some liberal groups and lawmakers support raising taxes or turning to voters to pass new bonds to prop up the state’s shaky finances. —Wire Report, Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2025

Advertisement Of course, there is such a thing as being too bad—and too hypocritical. —Shadi Hamid, Time, 3 Nov. 2025

The anti-American side focuses exclusively on the tragedies, usually makes slavery the chief argument for the prosecution, and dismisses the triumphs as hypocritical rhetoric. —Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025

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

Rhymes for hypocritical

• analytical
• apolitical
• diacritical
• hypercritical
• nonpolitical
• parasitical
• supercritical
• critical
• geopolitical
• levitical
• noncritical
• political