If you accuse someone of hypocrisy, you mean that they pretend to have qualities, beliefs, or feelings that they do not really have.
[disapproval]
He accused newspapers of hypocrisy in their treatment of the story.
You'll have little patience with the hypocrisy and double standards you encounter.
Synonyms: insincerity, pretence, deceit, deception More Synonyms of hypocrisy
hypocrisy in British English
(hɪˈpɒkrəsɪ)
nounWord forms: plural-sies
1.
the practice of professing standards, beliefs, etc, contrary to one's real character or actual behaviour, esp the pretence of virtue and piety
2.
an act or instance of this
hypocrisy in American English
(hɪˈpɑkrəsi)
nounWord forms: pluralhyˈpocrisies
a pretending to be what one is not, or to feel what one does not feel; esp., a pretense of virtue, piety, etc.
Word origin
ME ipocrisie < OFr < L hypocrisis, mimicry (in LL(Ec), pretended sanctity) < Gr hypokrisis, acting a part (in LXX and N.T., hypocrisy) < hypokrinesthai, to play a part < hypo-, hypo- + krinesthai, to dispute < krinein, to separate: see harvest
Examples of 'hypocrisy' in a sentence
hypocrisy
Labour said the row exposed shabby hypocrisy.
The Sun (2016)
Labour said the row exposed shabby hypocrisy.
The Sun (2016)
Give that man the award for breathtaking hypocrisy.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The point is to expose hypocrisy or shameful behaviour.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The necessary hypocrisy of politicians partly derives from the egregious hypocrisy of the People.
The Times Literary Supplement (2009)
That terrible festering secret of yours that burdens you, the hypocrisy of your life.
The Sun (2014)
It stinks of humbug, hypocrisy and double standards.
The Sun (2013)
This is a stirring, withering polemic about breathtaking hypocrisy.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
It shines a light on the regime's brutality and exposes its hypocrisy to its own people.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Religious hypocrisy is pervasive, too.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
This monumental hypocrisy is breathtaking.
The Sun (2013)
Let's take their breathtaking hypocrisy.
The Sun (2010)
When politicians deal in such blatant hypocrisy, is it any wonder that our ruling elite are trying to control what we print?
The Sun (2014)
I'm just there to expose the hypocrisy of it all.
The Sun (2015)
They spoke of manners and morals, political corruption and social hypocrisy, patriotism and prejudice.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
After four consecutive summers at the church camp, she got fed up with the hypocrisy of people coming to church mainly to show off their clothes.
Christianity Today (2000)
With breathtaking hypocrisy, the sneaky judge dished out justice to benefit cheats while falsely pocketing nearly 50,000 in benefits himself.
The Sun (2006)
So I'll let you decide whether this smells of hypocrisy and double standards.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Quotations
Hypocrisy is a tribute which vice pays to virtueDuc de la RochefoucauldRéflexions ou Sentences et Maximes Morales
I hope you have not been leading a double life, pretending to be wicked and being really good all the time. That would be hypocrisyOscar WildeThe Importance of Being Earnest
Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?Bible: St. Matthew
hypocrisy, the only evil that walks Invisible, except to God aloneJohn MiltonParadise Lost
In other languages
hypocrisy
British English: hypocrisy NOUN
If you accuse someone of hypocrisy, you mean that they pretend to have qualities, beliefs, or feelings that they do not really have.
He accused newspapers of hypocrisy in their treatment of the story.
American English: hypocrisy
Brazilian Portuguese: hipocrisia
Chinese: 虚伪
European Spanish: hipocresía
French: hypocrisie
German: Heuchelei
Italian: ipocrisia
Japanese: みせかけ
Korean: 위선
European Portuguese: hipocrisia
Latin American Spanish: hipocresía
(noun)
Definition
the practice of claiming to have standards or beliefs that are contrary to one's real character or actual behaviour
He accused newspapers of hypocrisy in their treatment of the story.
Synonyms
insincerity
Too many superlatives lend a note of insincerity.
pretence
struggling to keep up the pretence that all was well
deceit
The suspect was found guilty of theft, fraud and deceit on an incredible scale.
deception
He admitted conspiring to obtain property by deception.
cant
Politicians are holding forth with their usual hypocritical cant.
duplicity
He was guilty of duplicity in his private dealings.
dissembling
falsity
with no clear knowledge of the truth or falsity of the issues involved
imposture
sanctimoniousness
phoniness (informal)
deceitfulness
pharisaism
speciousness
two-facedness
phariseeism
Opposites
honesty
,
sincerity
,
truthfulness
Quotations
Hypocrisy is a tribute which vice pays to virtue [Duc de la Rochefoucauld – Réflexions ou Sentences et Maximes Morales]I hope you have not been leading a double life, pretending to be wicked and being really good all the time. That would be hypocrisy [Oscar Wilde – The Importance of Being Earnest]Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? [Bible: St. Matthew]hypocrisy, the only evil that walks Invisible, except to God alone [John Milton – Paradise Lost]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of cant
Definition
insincere talk concerning religion or morals
Politicians are holding forth with their usual hypocritical cant.
Synonyms
hypocrisy,
pretence,
lip service,
humbug,
insincerity,
pretentiousness,
sanctimoniousness,
pious platitudes,
affected piety,
sham holiness
in the sense of deceit
Definition
behaviour intended to deceive
The suspect was found guilty of theft, fraud and deceit on an incredible scale.
Synonyms
lying,
fraud,
cheating,
deception,
hypocrisy,
cunning,
pretence,
treachery,
dishonesty,
guile,
artifice,
trickery,
misrepresentation,
duplicity,
subterfuge,
feint,
double-dealing,
chicanery,
wile,
dissimulation,
craftiness,
imposture,
fraudulence,
slyness,
deceitfulness,
underhandedness
in the sense of deception
Definition
the act of deceiving someone or the state of being deceived
He admitted conspiring to obtain property by deception.