Hypocritical
adjective
Pretending to have beliefs, opinions, virtues, feelings, qualities, or standards that one does not actually have.
It's hypocritical to say you care about the environment while driving a gas-guzzling car.
Often appears as...
- hypocritical stance
- hypocritical behavior
Usage tips
Disapproving
adjective
Not behaving according to standards or beliefs one claims to hold.
He was being hypocritical when he preached about honesty but lied to his wife.
Often appears as...
- hypocritical actions
- hypocritical speech
Usage tips
Disapproving
adjective
Pretending to have beliefs, opinions, virtues, feelings, qualities, or standards that one does not actually have.
It's hypocritical to say you care about the environment while driving a gas-guzzling car.
Often appears as...
- hypocritical stance
- hypocritical behavior
Usage tips
Disapproving
adjective
Not behaving according to standards or beliefs one claims to hold.
He was being hypocritical when he preached about honesty but lied to his wife.
Often appears as...
- hypocritical actions
- hypocritical speech
Usage tips
Disapproving
Definition 1 of 2
Pro Tip 1/3Identifying Hypocrisy
Understand the contradiction between someone's words and their actions to spot hypocrisy.
He claimed to be a vegan but was hypocritical, eating meat at home.
Pro Tip 2/3Cultural Perception
Recognize that being called hypocritical is often seen as a strong criticism in many cultures.
Calling her charitable work hypocritical because of her wealth angered many.
Pro Tip 3/3Emotional Weight
Acknowledge the emotional impact; calling someone hypocritical can cause offense or defensiveness.
His friends were upset when his actions were labeled hypocritical.
Pro Tip 1/3Identifying Hypocrisy
Understand the contradiction between someone's words and their actions to spot hypocrisy.
He claimed to be a vegan but was hypocritical, eating meat at home.
Pro Tip 2/3Cultural Perception
Recognize that being called hypocritical is often seen as a strong criticism in many cultures.
Calling her charitable work hypocritical because of her wealth angered many.
Pro Tip 3/3Emotional Weight
Acknowledge the emotional impact; calling someone hypocritical can cause offense or defensiveness.
His friends were upset when his actions were labeled hypocritical.
Pro Tip 1/3Identifying Hypocrisy
Understand the contradiction between someone's words and their actions to spot hypocrisy.
He claimed to be a vegan but was hypocritical, eating meat at home.
Pro Tip 2/3Cultural Perception
Recognize that being called hypocritical is often seen as a strong criticism in many cultures.
Calling her charitable work hypocritical because of her wealth angered many.
Pro Tip 3/3Emotional Weight
Acknowledge the emotional impact; calling someone hypocritical can cause offense or defensiveness.
His friends were upset when his actions were labeled hypocritical.
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Video examples
Advocating for gender...
experience with the United Nations we have no illusions about its six-decade failure to respond to the needs and rights of women we know that the Secretariat and most of the agencies have a record on gender that is both abject and hypocritical in the extreme we know that the Security Council
Video examples
Why I'm a weekday...
animals we raise each year for meat are raised in factory farm conditions that we, hypocritically, wouldn't even consider for our own cats, dogs and other pets. Environmentally, meat, amazingly, causes more emissions
Video examples
Why I'm a weekday...
animals we raise each year for meat are raising factory farm conditions that we hypocritically wouldn't even consider for our own cats dogs and other pets environmentally meat amazingly causes
Video examples
Safari Live - Day 292 PIPE...
two broken back legs and continues on without the same outcry human beings by nature myself included can be very hypocritical here we fine I'm not worried we'll keep a close eye
Video examples
Advocating for gender...
experience with the United Nations we have no illusions about its six-decade failure to respond to the needs and rights of women we know that the Secretariat and most of the agencies have a record on gender that is both abject and hypocritical in the extreme we know that the Security Council
Video examples
Why I'm a weekday...
animals we raise each year for meat are raised in factory farm conditions that we, hypocritically, wouldn't even consider for our own cats, dogs and other pets. Environmentally, meat, amazingly, causes more emissions
Video examples
Why I'm a weekday...
animals we raise each year for meat are raising factory farm conditions that we hypocritically wouldn't even consider for our own cats dogs and other pets environmentally meat amazingly causes
Video examples
Safari Live - Day 292 PIPE...
two broken back legs and continues on without the same outcry human beings by nature myself included can be very hypocritical here we fine I'm not worried we'll keep a close eye
Example 1 of 4
Quote examples
Lauren Mayberry
Scottish Musician
People have said it's hypocritical for me to call myself a feminist and make the kind of music we are making, because we signed to a major in the U.K., and that system objectifies women. Or people have complained that I don't dance. But I like the idea that I can stomp around the stage if I want.
Quote examples
Ben Shapiro
American Author
Google is a private company. It has the capacity to utilize its massive power for whatever political agenda it chooses. But for it to pretend to be an advocate for Internet freedom while simultaneously disadvantaging messages it finds politically incorrect is deeply hypocritical.
Quote examples
Alex Honnold
American Athlete
So many people condemn me for risk taking, but I find it sort of hypocritical because everybody takes risks. Even the absence of activity could be viewed as a risk. If you sit on the sofa for your entire life, you're running a higher risk of getting heart disease and cancer.
Quote examples
Theo Epstein
American Businessman
It's hypocritical to say when things are going well, 'Interview me. Ask me how great I am. Ask me about family and personal life.' At some point later, when someone wants information and you want to draw the line, how do you do that?
Quote examples
Yolanda King
American Activist
My friends... feel there are not that many people they can really look up to. They feel people are so hypocritical and fake... But I do have some people I respect, a great number of people, and I'm sure my friends have.
Quote examples
P. J. O'Rourke
American Comedian
Bill Clinton is not a hypocrite. If a man believes that it is just and moral to redistribute wealth, there is nothing hypocritical in his attempts to redistribute some of that wealth to himself.
Quote examples
Mike Cernovich
American Writer
The only difference between me and my critics is that I don't lie to the world about who I am. People are complicated and often seemingly hypocritical. Embrace the diversity of your mind.
Quote examples
Frank Lloyd Wright
American Architect
Early in life I had to choose between honest arrogance and hypocritical humility. I chose the former and have seen no reason to change.
Quote examples
Brandi Glanville
American Celebrity
It's incredibly hypocritical of Eddie to object to filming around my children, especially given how public he lives his life.
Quote examples
Niccolo Machiavelli
Italian Writer
Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain.
Quote examples
Lauren Mayberry
Scottish Musician
People have said it's hypocritical for me to call myself a feminist and make the kind of music we are making, because we signed to a major in the U.K., and that system objectifies women. Or people have complained that I don't dance. But I like the idea that I can stomp around the stage if I want.
Quote examples
Ben Shapiro
American Author
Google is a private company. It has the capacity to utilize its massive power for whatever political agenda it chooses. But for it to pretend to be an advocate for Internet freedom while simultaneously disadvantaging messages it finds politically incorrect is deeply hypocritical.
Quote examples
Alex Honnold
American Athlete
So many people condemn me for risk taking, but I find it sort of hypocritical because everybody takes risks. Even the absence of activity could be viewed as a risk. If you sit on the sofa for your entire life, you're running a higher risk of getting heart disease and cancer.
Quote examples
Theo Epstein
American Businessman
It's hypocritical to say when things are going well, 'Interview me. Ask me how great I am. Ask me about family and personal life.' At some point later, when someone wants information and you want to draw the line, how do you do that?
Quote examples
Yolanda King
American Activist
My friends... feel there are not that many people they can really look up to. They feel people are so hypocritical and fake... But I do have some people I respect, a great number of people, and I'm sure my friends have.
Quote examples
P. J. O'Rourke
American Comedian
Bill Clinton is not a hypocrite. If a man believes that it is just and moral to redistribute wealth, there is nothing hypocritical in his attempts to redistribute some of that wealth to himself.
Quote examples
Mike Cernovich
American Writer
The only difference between me and my critics is that I don't lie to the world about who I am. People are complicated and often seemingly hypocritical. Embrace the diversity of your mind.
Quote examples
Frank Lloyd Wright
American Architect
Early in life I had to choose between honest arrogance and hypocritical humility. I chose the former and have seen no reason to change.
Quote examples
Brandi Glanville
American Celebrity
It's incredibly hypocritical of Eddie to object to filming around my children, especially given how public he lives his life.
Quote examples
Niccolo Machiavelli
Italian Writer
Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain.
Example 1 of 10
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