whited sepulcher

noun

: a person inwardly corrupt or wicked but outwardly or professedly virtuous or holy : hypocrite

Word History

Etymology

from the simile in Matthew 23:27

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of whited sepulcher was in 1530

Rhymes for whited sepulcher

See All Rhymes for whited sepulcher

Browse Nearby Words

white dogwood
whited sepulcher
white dwarf
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Whited sepulcher.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whited%20sepulcher. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

Using Bullet Points ( • )

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

8 Real (and Perceived) Redundant Words

17 Words for Dog Breeds

Ten More Words from Taylor Swift Songs

And So It Begins: 9 Words for Beginnings

Why do we 'bury the lede?'
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

8 Real (and Perceived) Redundant Words

17 Words for Dog Breeds
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All