hypocritically
gb/hˈaɪpəkɹˈɪtɪkəli/ us/hˈaɪpəkɹˈɪtɪkəli/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
adverb
C1
property
1
in a way that is hypocritical
in a way that is not honest about your real beliefs or feelings
Usage pattern:
[someone] [does/says something] hypocritically
Common mistake:
Don’t use it to mean simply “ironically” or “surprisingly”; it specifically involves pretending to have better morals or standards than you really have.
Synonyms
insincerely (More general; does not always imply moral pretense.)
|
disingenuously (Emphasizes deliberate misleading or lack of openness.)
|
two-facedly (Informal; highlights saying one thing and doing another.)
Antonyms
sincerely (Shows genuine feelings or beliefs.)
|
genuinely (Emphasizes authenticity rather than pretense.)
Collocations
act hypocritically
|behave hypocritically
|speak hypocritically
|respond hypocritically
|criticize hypocritically
|judge hypocritically
|condemn hypocritically
|hypocritically claim
|hypocritically deny
|hypocritically insist
Themes
behavior
|morality
|social_relations
|communication
Examples
- He hypocritically lectured his friends about honesty while lying to them himself.
- The company hypocritically promoted sustainability but continued to waste huge amounts of energy.
- She smiled warmly, but her compliments were delivered hypocritically.
Learner examples
- He acted hypocritically.
- It is hypocritical to criticize others and do the same thing.
adverb
C1
property
2
with a double standard
in a way that is unfair because you do the same thing yourself
Usage pattern:
hypocritically [criticize/accuse/condemn] [someone] for [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with “unfairly”; it is specifically unfair because the speaker’s own behavior contradicts their criticism.
Synonyms
inconsistently (Focuses on lack of consistency; may not imply moral pretense.)
|
unfairly (More general; doesn’t necessarily involve self-contradiction.)
Antonyms
consistently (Applies the same standard across people and situations.)
|
fairly (Judges without bias or self-serving double standards.)
Collocations
hypocritically accuse
|hypocritically blame
|hypocritically criticize
|hypocritically condemn
|hypocritically judge
|hypocritically shame
|hypocritically attack
|hypocritically call out
Themes
behavior
|judgment
|social_relations
Examples
- He hypocritically criticized her for being late, even though he’s late all the time.
- The politician hypocritically attacked “elite privilege” while using it to his own advantage.
- She hypocritically demanded privacy but publicly shared other people’s personal messages.
Learner examples
- Don’t judge others hypocritically.
Grammar
Dictionary form
hypocritically
IPA
GB/hˈaɪpəkɹˈɪtɪkəli/
US/hˈaɪpəkɹˈɪtɪkəli/
Syllables & stress
hy - po - crit - ic - ally (5 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (hy)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: hypocritically
- Plural: hypocriticallies
Word family
Forms
hypocriticallies
noun
Core family
Expressions
hypocritically enough
1/hˈaɪpəkɹˈɪtɪkəli ɪnˈʌf/
fixed phrase
formal
used to note hypocritical irony
used to show that something is hypocritical
Examples
- Hypocritically enough, he complained about office gossip while spreading rumors himself.
- Hypocritically enough, they demanded transparency but refused to answer basic questions.
- Hypocritically enough, she warned everyone about wasting money and then bought the most expensive option.