hypocrisy
gb/hɪpˈɑkɹəsi/ us/hɪpˈɑkɹəsi/
C1
English
~ 8700
Senses
0 senses
Noun
C1
state
1
pretending to follow beliefs or morals
When a person says they have good rules or beliefs but does not follow them in real life.
Usage pattern:
hypocrisy about [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "hypocrisy" (noun) with "hypocrite" (noun for a person) and "hypocritical" (adjective). For example, "He is a hypocrisy" is incorrect; it should be "He is a hypocrite" or "He is hypocritical". Another common mistake is mixing up "hypocrisy" with "hypothesis"; these words are unrelated in meaning.
Synonyms
insincerity (General term for not being sincere; less focused on morals or rules than hypocrisy.)
|
double standards (Suggests using different rules for different people, while hypocrisy is more about pretending to follow strict rules oneself.)
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phoniness (Informal; emphasizes that someone or something feels fake, not specifically about morals.)
Antonyms
sincerity (Focuses on saying what you really think and feel, without pretending.)
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integrity (Suggests strong honesty and doing what you say you believe, especially about morals.)
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honesty (General truthfulness; contrasts with the false image presented in hypocrisy.)
Collocations
political hypocrisy
|moral hypocrisy
|religious hypocrisy
|rank hypocrisy
|the height of hypocrisy
|accuse [someone] of hypocrisy
Themes
ethics
|emotions
|politics
|society
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Voters were angered by the blatant hypocrisy of politicians who preached transparency while hiding their own finances.
- Her speech about kindness felt like pure hypocrisy, given how she treats her coworkers.
- Calling for strict environmental laws while flying on a private jet struck many people as obvious hypocrisy.
- He condemned the hypocrisy of companies that promote mental health while overworking their staff.
- The scandal exposed the sheer hypocrisy at the heart of the organization’s public image.
Learner examples
- People were shocked by the hypocrisy of the leader who talked about honesty but lied to everyone.
- It is hypocrisy when parents tell their children not to shout but shout at them all the time.
- The teacher was accused of hypocrisy for breaking the same rules she gave to her students.
- Many people hate hypocrisy in politics.
- His apology sounded like hypocrisy because he kept doing the same bad things.
Grammar
Dictionary form
hypocrisy
IPA
GB/hɪpˈɑkɹəsi/
US/hɪpˈɑkɹəsi/
Syllables & stress
hy - po - crisy (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (po)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: hypocrisy
- Plural: hypocrisies, hypocrisy
Word family
Forms
hypocrisies
noun
Core family
hypocrite
noun B2
hypocritical
adjective C1
Related words
hypocritically
adverb C1
Expressions
the height of hypocrisy
1/ðə hˈaɪt əv hɪpˈɑkɹəsi/
fixed phrase
the most extreme hypocrisy
Used to say that someone’s behavior shows a very strong and clear example of hypocrisy.
Examples
- Telling employees to save money while giving yourself a huge bonus is the height of hypocrisy.
- Some people called the new rule the height of hypocrisy, because the company itself broke it first.