hypocrite
noun
hyp·o·crite
| \ ˈhi-pə-ˌkrit
\
\
Definition of hypocrite
1
: a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion
2
: a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings
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Examples of hypocrite in a Sentence
We can learn a good deal about the manners and morals of the times from Lautrec, for he was neither a hypocrite nor a sentimentalist, and there is a matter-of-fact-ness about his vision … that precludes both nostalgia and prurience.
— Elizabeth Cowling, Times Literary Supplement, 8 Nov. 1991
Holding up high moral, ethical, and social standards is very difficult, because if one falls short of being a perfect example, one becomes a target and a hypocrite, albeit a well-meaning one.
— Mark Masters et al., New Dimensions, June 1990
Of all of these things and people Cilla knew nothing, nor could he tell her, yet he tried to show interest in what she had to tell him. Once he would have been very interested. Now he felt like a hypocrite, and because he was uncomfortable he blamed it in some way on Cilla.
— Esther Forbes, Johnny Tremain, 1943
the hypocrites who criticize other people for not voting but who don't always vote themselves
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Recent Examples on the Web
Stills has received five to 10 death threats since essentially calling his boss a hypocrite Wednesday on Twitter, according to the Palm Beach Post. — Los Angeles Times, "Kenny Stills, facing reported death threats, doesn’t let up on boss for backing Trump," 9 Aug. 2019 In return, Democrats accused the governor of being a disingenuous hypocrite. — Luke Broadwater, baltimoresun.com, "Maryland Democrats deride Gov. Hogan's pledge of bipartisanship as he withholds money intended for Baltimore," 7 July 2019 Even an elder hypocrite named Trump got into the act. — Stu Bykofsky, Philly.com, "How I learned not to use the 'C-word' | Stu Bykofsky," 1 June 2018 Its cartooned pages confirmed their suspicions that parents are hypocrites, that heroes have clay feet, that popular culture is a ripoff and that a guy might as well laugh at existence because existence is already laughing at him. — David Von Drehle, The Denver Post, "Guest Commentary: Mad magazine is dying — maybe we should worry," 7 July 2019 Then, once nominated, the survivor can back off from his or her earlier radicalism, move to the center in the general election and hope that voters prefer a centrist hypocrite to an unapologetic radical. — Victor Davis Hanson, The Mercury News, "Hanson: Democratic candidates aren’t on a winning track," 5 July 2019 But here's the thing: Most of you mayonnaise haters out there are hypocrites and cowards. — Emily Dreyfuss, WIRED, "In Defense of Mayonnaise," 4 July 2019 Fellow debaters might be quick to call her a hypocrite and point to allegations from one of her female staffers. — Samantha Leach, Glamour, "What to Expect From the Six Female Candidates Taking the Stage at the Democratic Debates," 26 June 2019 So, are the members of the buying public hypocrites? — Maya Singer, Vogue, "Is There Really Such a Thing as “Ethical Consumerism?”," 4 Feb. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hypocrite.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for hypocrite
hypocrite
noun
English Language Learners Definition of hypocrite
disapproving
: a person who claims or pretends to have certain beliefs about what is right but who behaves in a way that disagrees with those beliefs
See the full definition for hypocrite in the English Language Learners Dictionary
hypocrite
noun
hyp·o·crite
| \ ˈhi-pə-ˌkrit
\
\
Kids Definition of hypocrite
: a person who acts in a way that goes against what he or she claims to believe or feel
She's a hypocrite who complains about litter and then litters herself.
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