hypocrisy

noun

hi-ˈpä-krə-sē How to pronounce hypocrisy (audio)
Definition of hypocrisynext
as in deception
the pretending of having virtues, principles, or beliefs that one in fact does not have the hypocrisy of people who claim to care about the environment but ride around in gas-guzzlers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hypocrisy Some viewers came to Seyfried's defense, arguing that her changing opinion of Holmes wasn't a sign of hypocrisy but rather an essential part of the documentary's larger message. — Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026 When scandals are revealed, teams and leagues with close ties to gambling companies are accused of hypocrisy. — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026 Unlike Gregor Samsa who is confined to his room after transforming into a huge insect, the protagonist still has to go to work, a dark and bleak absurdity that lays bare the alienation, isolation, and hypocrisy of modern life. — Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026 Trump, in a Truth Social post, accused the media of hypocrisy for allegedly refusing to cover past purchases of Russian energy by the European Union. — Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hypocrisy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hypocrisy
  1. deception
  2. deceit
  3. deceptiveness
  4. insincerity
  5. deceitfulness
  6. affectation
Noun
  • Nefarious actors have long been keen to fill the gap through what international law describes as coercion, deception and abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability.
    — Robert P. George, Washington Post, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The suspect, identified as 58-year-old Zishan Zeng, was charged with two counts of elder exploitation and two counts of theft by deception.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of deception
Noun
  • The best way Ray can think of to do so is to tail her shady husband, Dom (Bobby Cannavale) — all the way into a sordid (but still vaguely family-friendly) web of deceit, murder, blackmail and gangland drama.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2026
  • These rosy reveries gradually darken as Wilde remembers succumbing to hedonism, deceit, debt, and disgrace.
    — Hannah Aizenman, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of deceit
Noun
  • Of course, the retort is that this would be irritating and exasperating to be continually deluged with alerts about AI deceptiveness.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
  • Beyond the deceptiveness of the narrow material view, spiritual light and hope are always present to be found and felt.
    — Sue Brightman, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Jan. 2025
Definition of deceptiveness
Noun
  • Sondheim’s worst songs are dragged down by uplift, whose insincerity shines right through.
    — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
  • It was made that much worse when several cast members laughed at her insincerity and Maddi Reese interrupted it several times because there was a stray cat nearby that terrified her.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 29 May 2026
Definition of insincerity
Noun
  • Antisocial personality includes a persistent pattern of traits such as callousness, lack of concern, deceitfulness, and irresponsibility, Ryan said.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Perfidy — from the French perfidie via the Latin perfidia — means deceitfulness, treachery or a breach of faith or promise.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
Definition of deceitfulness
Noun
  • But, even then, American socialists walked a fine line—they were considered too radical for the mainstream and a mere bourgeois affectation by committed class revolutionaries.
    — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
  • With rare exceptions, EV sound is little more than an affectation.
    — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of affectation

Browse Nearby Words

hypocorisms
hypocrisy
hypocrite
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hypocrisy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hypocrisy. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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