hypocritical

[hip-uh-krit-i-kuhl] / ˌhɪp əˈkrɪt ɪ kəl /

ADJECTIVE

deceitful, pretending

Synonyms

STRONGEST

deceptive duplicitous false insincere sanctimonious self-righteous unnatural

WEAK

affected artificial assuming bland canting captious caviling deluding dissembling double double-dealing faithless feigning fishy fraudulent glib hollow jivey left-handed lying moralistic oily pharisaical phony pietistic pious smooth smooth-spoken smooth-tongued snide specious spurious two-faced unctuous unreliable

Antonyms

STRONGEST

forthright frank genuine honest humble open real truthful

WEAK

actual authentic just reliable righteous sincere upright

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.

But Lee Symonds, of the Artificial Grass Company Norfolk and Suffolk, said calls for plastic grass to be banned were somewhat hypocritical.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

Most of these voters didn’t want to say that they like it when politicians are hypocritical.

From Salon • Mar. 4, 2026

He called his former party "incredibly hypocritical" for removing seven other councillors from its ranks in recent months.

From BBC • Jan. 16, 2026

Backing away from causes such as LGBTQ+ rights doesn’t necessarily mean those corporations were once progressive and are now hypocritical.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 26, 2025

But Theo has no religious feelings at all and thinks it would be hypocritical.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman

Vocabulary lists containing hypocritical

"The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

"The Tell-Tale Heart," Vocabulary from the short story

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

Fake It 'Til You Make It: Synonyms for "False"

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!