Hypocritical Meaning
/hɪpəˈkɹɪtɪkəl/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjCharacterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite.
Sentence Examples
Tom certainly is hypocritical.
I have never known someone as hypocritical as you.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
None
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
It is ____ to tell children not to lie while you lie yourself.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
It was ____ of her to criticize his selfishness when she was always doing the same thing.
Word Origin & History
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”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The British Empire was in a somewhat-hypocritical position when it came to slavery. Due to the fact that most other nations were at war with the Empire and the Royal Navy controlled the seas, most slavers were flying British flags. However, slavery in England had been banned hundreds of years before, in 1102, with periodic court cases reaffirming this through the centuries."
— 2018 December 1, Drachinifel, 1:33 from the start, in Anti-Slavery Patrols - The West Africa Squadron, archived from the original on 29 Nov 2024:
"[Stephen] Miller’s uncle, a neuroscientist, has been welcomed onto the public stage for his denunciations of his nephew’s immigration policies, which the elder Miller has characterized as hypocritical: the Millers’ not-so-distant Jewish ancestors were, of course, immigrants themselves."
— 2019 July 15, Greg Afinogenov, “The Jewish Case for Open Borders”, in Jewish Currents, number Summer 2019:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
It is ____ to tell children not to lie while you lie yourself.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
It was ____ of her to criticize his selfishness when she was always doing the same thing.