hypocritical
adjective
hyp·o·crit·i·cal
ˌhi-pə-ˈkri-ti-kəl 
: characterized by behavior that contradicts what one claims to believe or feel : characterized by hypocrisy
a hypocritical attitude/argument
said that it was hypocritical to demand respect from students without respecting them in return
a hypocritical gesture of modesty and virtue—
Robert Graves
Robert Graves
also
: being a person whose actions are contrary to their stated beliefs or feelings : being a hypocrite
… is famous for his … acidic takedowns of craven and hypocritical politicians. —Brett Lang
Brett Lang Examples of hypocritical in a Sentence
it's hypocritical to say mean things behind someone's back, and then to act nice when you want something from her
Recent Examples on the Web
Judges could reason the NCAA interpreting rules to allow pros from some leagues, but not others, is hypocritical and arbitrary.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 10 Feb. 2026
And if you’re inspired to take some meaningful, not at all hypocritical action against book bans, there are plenty of ways to get plugged in with Authors Against Book Bans.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 9 Feb. 2026
An about-face a few years down the line might look hypocritical in light of the new Super Bowl ad the company is releasing to highlight its announcement.
—Dominic Preston, The Verge, 4 Feb. 2026
Fellow Democrats Tony Thurmond and Antonio Villaraigosa attack Swalwell and Porter as hypocritical, pointing to their own stricter stances on federal immigration enforcement.
—Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
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Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 10 Feb. 2026
And if you’re inspired to take some meaningful, not at all hypocritical action against book bans, there are plenty of ways to get plugged in with Authors Against Book Bans.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 9 Feb. 2026
An about-face a few years down the line might look hypocritical in light of the new Super Bowl ad the company is releasing to highlight its announcement.
—Dominic Preston, The Verge, 4 Feb. 2026
Fellow Democrats Tony Thurmond and Antonio Villaraigosa attack Swalwell and Porter as hypocritical, pointing to their own stricter stances on federal immigration enforcement.
—Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hypocritical
Cite this Entry
“Hypocritical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypocritical. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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