Definitions

tartuffe

[tahr-toof, -toof, tar-tyf] / tɑrˈtʊf, -ˈtuf, tarˈtüf /

NOUN

hypocrite

Synonyms

STRONGEST

deceiver hypocrite pretender

STRONG

actor backslider bigot bluffer casuist charlatan cheat crook decoy dissembler dissimulator fake faker four-flusher fraud humbug impostor informer malingerer masquerader mountebank pharisee phony playactor poser quack smoothie sophist swindler trickster two-timer

WEAK

attitudinizer con artist lip server two-face wolf in sheep's clothing

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Ncuti Gatwa performs as Valere in Tartuffe in 2012.

From BBC • Jan. 2, 2026

But it strikes a false and pandering note, since Tartuffe, as in Molière, has been plainly exposed as an opportunistic, lascivious fraud—and the only one in the play.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025

Orgon, a wealthy bourgeois who has taken a much younger second wife, signs over his soul to Tartuffe, a lecherous swindler who poses as a saint while pursuing a diabolical agenda.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 19, 2024

Once invited into his house, Tartuffe uses every nefarious scheme possible to steal from his benefactor, creating chaos for everyone around him.

From Salon • Mar. 6, 2024

Then he had her memorize a page from Molière’s Le Tartuffe and its English translation.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith