hypocritical
gb/hˌɪpəkɹˈɪtɪkəl/ us/hˌɪpəkɹˈɪtɪkəl/
C1
Anglais
Sens
0 sens
adjective
C1
property
1
judging others for same behavior
If you are hypocritical, you say something is wrong but you do it yourself.
Schéma d’usage :
It is hypocritical (of [someone]) to [do something].
Erreur fréquente :
Don’t confuse with 'critical' (negative) or 'hypercritical' (too critical).
Synonymes
two-faced (More informal and personal; suggests deception.)
|
inconsistent (Focuses on not matching words and actions, without the moral judgment.)
|
double-dealing (Stronger; implies dishonesty and betrayal.)
Antonymes
consistent (Actions match stated beliefs and standards.)
|
principled (Guided by the same moral rules in all cases.)
Collocations
hypocritical to say
|hypocritical to complain
|hypocritical of you
|a bit hypocritical
|seems hypocritical
|downright hypocritical
|deeply hypocritical
|hypocritical stance
|hypocritical criticism
|hypocritical double standard
Thèmes
ethics
|relationships
|communication
|emotions
|society
Exemples
- It feels hypocritical to tell my kids to limit screen time when I’m always on my phone.
- He called her irresponsible, but it was hypocritical because he was the one who missed the deadline.
- It’s hypocritical of the company to preach transparency while hiding its fees.
Exemples pédagogiques
- It is hypocritical to say you hate gossip and then gossip yourself.
- She felt hypocritical after breaking the rule she had just explained.
adjective
C1
property
2
pretending to be morally better
If something is hypocritical, it is not sincere and it pretends to be good or moral.
Schéma d’usage :
a hypocritical [person/remark/attitude]
Erreur fréquente :
Hypocritical describes behavior or comments; the person is a 'hypocrite' (noun).
Synonymes
insincere (General lack of sincerity; not necessarily moral pretense.)
|
self-righteous (Emphasizes acting morally superior to others.)
|
pharisaical (More formal/literary; moral show without true virtue.)
Antonymes
sincere (Genuine in feelings or beliefs.)
|
genuine (Real rather than performed for show.)
Collocations
hypocritical person
|hypocritical politician
|hypocritical remark
|hypocritical attitude
|hypocritical apology
|hypocritical moralizing
|hypocritical piety
|hypocritical concern
|hypocritical smile
|hypocritical tone
Thèmes
ethics
|communication
|personality
|society
Exemples
- Her sudden outrage sounded hypocritical, given how quietly she benefited from the same system.
- He made a hypocritical show of compassion in public but was cruel in private.
- The article criticizes a culture of hypocritical virtue-signaling.
Exemples pédagogiques
- His apology felt hypocritical.
- Don’t be hypocritical—say what you really mean.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
hypocritical
API
GB/hˌɪpəkɹˈɪtɪkəl/
US/hˌɪpəkɹˈɪtɪkəl/
Syllabes et accentuation
hy - po - crit - ic - al (5 syllabes)
Stress on 3rd syllable (crit)
Formes du mot
Adjective
- Base: hypocritical
Famille de mots
Advanced or less common
hypocritically
adverb C1
Expressions
it’s hypocritical of [someone] to [do something]
1/ˈɪts hˌɪpəkɹˈɪtɪkəl əv sˈʌmwˌʌn tə dˈu sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
blame someone for inconsistency
We use this to say a person is not being fair or honest about their own behavior.
Exemples
- It’s hypocritical of him to lecture us about punctuality when he’s always late.
- It’s hypocritical of them to oppose censorship while trying to ban books.
- It’s hypocritical of you to accuse her of being selfish after what you did.
it’s hypocritical to [do something]
1/ˈɪts hˌɪpəkɹˈɪtɪkəl tə dˈu sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
call a double standard
We say this when someone does the opposite of what they say is right.
Exemples
- It’s hypocritical to demand honesty while lying about your own mistakes.
- It’s hypocritical to complain about noise when you throw loud parties every weekend.
- It’s hypocritical to criticize her spending if you’re also in debt.