hypocritical

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/hɪpəˈkɹɪtɪkəl/

adjective

Characterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite.

“Near-synonyms: double-faced, two-faced, Janus-faced, duplicitous (these denote intentional deception)”

Less commonFirst used mid-16th c.Scrabble 24

Meanings

adjectivehypocritical (comparative more hypocritical, superlative most hypocritical)

comparative more hypocritical · superlative most hypocritical

  1. Characterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite.First known use mid-16th c.

    Near-synonyms: double-faced, two-faced, Janus-faced, duplicitous (these denote intentional deception)

    2 more examples

    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

    Synonyms: double-faced, two-faced, Janus-faced, duplicitous · Antonyms: nonhypocritical, unhypocritical

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveCharacterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite.

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveprofessing feelings or virtues one does not have

Similar

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekὑποκριτικός
  2. Englishhypocritical

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”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans skynheilig
  • skynheiligcharacterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
Bulgarian лицемерен, двуличен
  • лицемерен (licemeren)characterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
  • двуличен (dvuličen)characterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
Catalan hipòcrita
  • hipòcritacharacterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
Chinese Cantonese 偽善 /伪善
  • 偽善 /伪善 (ngai⁶ sin⁶)characterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
Chinese Mandarin 虛偽 /虚伪, 假惺惺
  • 虛偽 /虚伪 (xūwěi)characterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
  • 假惺惺 (jiǎxīngxīng)characterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
  • 偽善 /伪善 (wěishàn)characterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
Czech pokrytecký
  • pokryteckýcharacterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
Dutch hypocriet, schijnheilig
  • hypocrietcharacterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
  • schijnheiligcharacterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
Esperanto hipokrita
  • hipokritacharacterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
Finnish tekopyhä, ulkokultainen
  • tekopyhächaracterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
  • ulkokultainencharacterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
French hypocrite
  • hypocritecharacterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
German heuchlerisch, gleisnerisch
  • heuchlerischcharacterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
  • gleisnerischcharacterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
Hebrew צבוע
  • צבועcharacterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
Hindi ढोंगी
  • ढोंगी (ḍhoṅgī)characterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
Hungarian álszent, képmutató
  • álszentcharacterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
  • képmutatócharacterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
Icelandic skinheilagur
  • skinheilagurcharacterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
Indonesian munafik
  • munafikcharacterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
Italian ipocrita
  • ipocritacharacterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
Korean 위선적, 이중적
  • 위선적 (wiseonjeok)characterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
  • 이중적 (ijungjeok)characterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
Māori arerorua, ngutukau
  • areroruacharacterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
  • ngutukaucharacterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
Norwegian hyklete, skinnhellig
  • hykletecharacterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
  • skinnhelligcharacterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
  • tilgjortcharacterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
Polish obłudny
  • obłudnycharacterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
Portuguese hipócrita
  • hipócritacharacterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
Romanian ipocrit
  • ipocritcharacterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
Russian лицеме́рный, ха́нжеский
  • лицеме́рный (licemérnyj)characterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
  • ха́нжеский (xánžeskij)characterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
  • двули́чный (dvulíčnyj)characterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
Scottish Gaelic dà-aodannach
  • dà-aodannachcharacterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
Slovak pokrytecký
  • pokryteckýcharacterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
Spanish mocho, hipócrita
  • mochocharacterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
  • hipócritacharacterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
Swedish hycklande, skenhelig
  • hycklandecharacterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
  • skenheligcharacterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
Turkish ikiyüzlü
  • ikiyüzlücharacterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
Ukrainian лицемі́рний, криводу́шний
  • лицемі́рний (lycemírnyj)characterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
  • криводу́шний (kryvodúšnyj)characterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
Yiddish היפּאָקריטיש, צבֿועקיש
  • היפּאָקריטיש (hipokritish)characterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
  • צבֿועקיש (tsvuyakish)characterized by hypocrisy or being a hypocrite
Cite this entry
APA

hypocritical. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hypocritical

MLA

“hypocritical.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hypocritical. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hypocritical,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hypocritical.

Source: hypocritical on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.