hypocritical
/,hipə'kritikəl/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Behaving in a way that suggests one has moral standards or beliefs that one does not actually possess; characterized by hypocrisy. It describes a person, action, or statement that feigns virtue, piety, or good intentions while concealing contradictory feelings or motives.
Usage and Examples
- General Usage:
- His apology seemed hypocritical because he continued the same behavior.
- It is hypocritical to condemn dishonesty while telling lies yourself.
- She gave him a hypocritical smile, hiding her true disappointment.
Advanced Usage and Nuances
- Societal/Institutional Hypocrisy: The term can describe collective or systemic pretense.
- The company's hypocritical commitment to the environment was exposed by the pollution scandal.
- Rhetorical Hypocrisy: Used to critique arguments perceived as insincere.
- The politician's speech was a hypocritical appeal to family values.
Variants and Related Words
- Hypocrisy (noun): The practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform; the state of being hypocritical.
- The hypocrisy of the situation was evident to everyone.
- Hypocrite (noun): A person who indulges in hypocrisy.
- He called his critic a hypocrite.
Synonyms
- Insincere: Not expressing genuine feelings.
- Two-faced: Insincere and deceitful.
- Pharisaical (formal): Hypocritically self-righteous and pious.
- Sanctimonious: Making a show of being morally superior to others.
Antonyms
- Sincere: Free from pretense or deceit.
- Genuine: Truly what something is said to be; authentic.
- Forthright: Direct and outspoken.
Idioms and Common Phrases
- Practice what you preach: An idiom urging someone to act in accordance with the advice they give to others, often used to call out hypocritical behavior.
- If you're going to lecture us on punctuality, you should practice what you preach.
Adjective
- professing feelings or virtues one does not have
- hypocritical praise