Have you ever met someone who preaches honesty but lies every day? Or a person who tells you to be kind while being cruel behind your back? We all know someone like that. That person is a hypocrite.
A hypocrite is someone who says one thing but does another. They pretend to have good values but act oppositely. For example, a boss who says “teamwork matters” but takes all the credit alone is a classic hypocrite.
Knowing synonyms for hypocrite makes you a better writer and speaker. If you are a student, these words help in essays and debates. If you are a blogger or content writer, they add variety and punch to your articles. If you use English every day, these words help you express frustration or describe people more accurately.
In this post, you will find exactly 50 synonyms for hypocrite, each with a simple meaning and two real-life example sentences. Let’s dive in.
1. Deceiver
Meaning:
- A deceiver is someone who tricks others by hiding the truth.
Examples:
- He acted like a loyal friend, but he was a deceiver all along.
- The politician was exposed as a deceiver after his secret deals came out.
2. Pretender
Meaning:
- A pretender is someone who acts like they are something they are not.
Examples:
- She was a pretender who faked being sick to skip work.
- Everyone soon realized he was just a pretender with no real skills.
3. Fraud
Meaning:
- A fraud is a person who lies about who they are to gain trust or money.
Examples:
- The self-proclaimed doctor was a complete fraud.
- She discovered her mentor was a fraud after checking his fake certificates.
4. Phony
Meaning:
- A phony is someone who is not genuine and puts on a fake act.
Examples:
- His kind words felt phony because he never helped anyone.
- Don’t trust her compliments, she’s a total phony.
5. Impostor
Meaning:
- An impostor is a person who pretends to be someone else to fool people.
Examples:
- The impostor used a fake name to get hired at the company.
- He played the role of a doctor but was really an impostor.
6. Charlatan
Meaning:
- A charlatan is someone who claims to have skills or knowledge they don’t have.
Examples:
- The charlatan sold fake medicines at the market.
- People trusted the charlatan until his lies were exposed on TV.
7. Dissembler
Meaning:
- A dissembler is someone who hides their true feelings or intentions.
Examples:
- She was a clever dissembler who always smiled while planning bad things.
- A dissembler never lets you see what they truly think.
8. Double-dealer
Meaning:
- A double-dealer is someone who acts friendly but works against you secretly.
Examples:
- The double-dealer pretended to support both sides of the argument.
- Be careful that the business partner is known to be a double-dealer.
9. Fake
Meaning:
- A fake is someone who is not real or honest in the way they act.
Examples:
- His charity work was fake; he only did it for social media attention.
- She called out her fake friend in front of the whole group.
10. Liar
Meaning:
- A liar is someone who says things that are not true on purpose.
Examples:
- The liar told everyone he had a degree, but he never graduated.
- She trusted him until she realized he was a liar from the very start.
11. Two-faced
Meaning:
- A two-faced person acts friendly to your face but says bad things behind your back.
Examples:
- My coworker is two-faced; she smiles at me but gossips about me.
- I stopped sharing secrets with him because I knew he was two-faced.
12. Sycophant
Meaning:
- A sycophant flatters powerful people to get personal gain, not out of real respect.
Examples:
- The office sycophant praised every idea the boss had, even the bad ones.
- Nobody liked the sycophant because his praise always felt hollow.
13. Flatterer
Meaning:
- A flatterer gives excessive, insincere compliments to get something in return.
Examples:
- The flatterer told the teacher her dress was beautiful just before asking for extra time.
- He was a skilled flatterer, but nobody believed his sweet words.
14. Trickster
Meaning:
- A trickster is someone who uses clever lies or tricks to fool people.
Examples:
- The trickster convinced the old man to give him money for a fake deal.
- Kids in the story loved the trickster character who always outsmarted the king.
15. Snake
Meaning:
- A snake (used informally) is a person who betrays trust while pretending to be loyal.
Examples:
- I found out my best friend was a snake when he told my secret to everyone.
- Don’t let a snake into your inner circle; it will cost you later.
16. Wolf in sheep’s clothing
Meaning:
- This phrase describes someone who looks harmless but is actually dangerous or deceptive.
Examples:
- The new manager seemed kind at first, but he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
- The charity founder was a wolf in sheep’s clothing who stole donor money.
17. Backstabber
Meaning:
- A backstabber is someone who acts loyal but betrays you when you’re not looking.
Examples:
- She found out her coworker was a backstabber after getting passed over for promotion.
- A backstabber never attacks you openly; they wait for the right moment.
18. Con artist
Meaning:
- A con artist tricks people into believing something false, usually for money or power.
Examples:
- The con artist sold “miracle” weight-loss pills that did nothing.
- She was a smooth-talking con artist who fooled dozens of investors.
19. Bluffer
Meaning:
- A bluffer pretends to know more than they do or acts confident when they are not.
Examples:
- He was a bluffer who talked like an expert but knew very little.
- The bluffer convinced the team he had years of experience.
20. Schemer
Meaning:
- A schemer secretly plans to trick or manipulate others for personal gain.
Examples:
- The schemer quietly worked to get everyone else fired so he could rise up.
- She was a quiet schemer, always nice, always plotting.
21. Opportunist
Meaning:
- An opportunist uses situations or people for personal gain without caring about others.
Examples:
- The opportunist only showed up when there was something in it for him.
- She called out the opportunist who volunteered only during election season.
22. Manipulator
Meaning:
- A manipulator controls others using tricks, lies, or emotional pressure.
Examples:
- The manipulator made his girlfriend feel guilty for having her own friends.
- Recognizing a manipulator early can save you from a lot of pain.
23. Equivocator
Meaning:
- An equivocator uses vague or unclear words on purpose to avoid telling the truth.
Examples:
- The politician was an equivocator who never gave a straight answer.
- An equivocator sounds like they’re answering, but really says nothing useful.
24. Actor
Meaning:
- Used informally, “actor” describes someone who performs emotions they don’t really feel.
Examples:
- He cried at the funeral, but everyone knew he was just an actor.
- She was such an actor pretending to care when she clearly didn’t.
25. Pretentious person
Meaning:
- A pretentious person acts more important, educated, or talented than they really are.
Examples:
- The pretentious person dropped famous names in every conversation.
- She was pretentious about her taste in art but couldn’t name any real artists.
26. Masquerader
Meaning:
- A masquerader hides their true identity or nature behind a false image.
Examples:
- The masquerader pretended to be a journalist to gain access to private events.
- On social media, many masqueraders pretend to live perfect lives.
27. Dissimulator
Meaning:
- A dissimulator hides or disguises their true feelings, beliefs, or intentions.
Examples:
- The dissimulator smiled through every meeting while hating every word said.
- Great dissimulators are hard to catch because they show nothing real.
28. Lip-service giver
Meaning:
- Someone who says they support something but never actually does anything about it.
Examples:
- He was a lip-service giver who agreed with every cause but donated nothing.
- The manager paid lip service to work-life balance but emailed staff at midnight.
29. Traitor
Meaning:
- A traitor is someone who betrays the trust or loyalty of those who believed in them.
Examples:
- He felt like a traitor when he leaked his team’s plans to the competitor.
- History remembers the traitor who switched sides to save himself.
30. False friend
Meaning:
- A false friend pretends to care about you but is not genuinely loyal or honest.
Examples:
- She realized he was a false friend when he laughed at her failure.
- A false friend will support you in public but wish for your downfall in private.
31. Canter
Meaning:
- A canter is someone who uses religious or moral language insincerely, just for show.
Examples:
- The canter quoted scripture every Sunday but cheated his workers on Monday.
- People grew tired of the canter who lectured on virtue without living it.
32. Poseur
Meaning:
- A poseur is someone who pretends to be part of a group or lifestyle they don’t truly belong to.
Examples:
- He was a poseur who bought expensive gear but never actually trained.
- The music scene was full of poseurs who copied the style but missed the point.
33. Self-righteous person
Meaning:
- A self-righteous person acts morally superior while ignoring their own flaws.
Examples:
- The self-righteous coworker reported small rule violations but broke bigger ones himself.
- Nobody liked her self-righteous attitude because she never admitted when she was wrong.
34. Sanctimonious person
Meaning:
- A sanctimonious person makes a big show of being morally good, often to judge others.
Examples:
- The sanctimonious neighbor lectured everyone about recycling but drove a gas-guzzling SUV.
- His sanctimonious speeches bored everyone because his actions told a different story.
35. Moralist (insincere)
Meaning:
- An insincere moralist preaches good values but doesn’t live by them.
Examples:
- The moralist gave speeches on honesty but filed false tax returns every year.
- She played the role of a moralist online while living a completely different life offline.
36. Turncoat
Meaning:
- A turncoat is someone who switches their beliefs or loyalties based on what benefits them.
Examples:
- The politician was called a turncoat after changing his vote on camera.
- A turncoat will abandon any cause the moment it stops being popular.
37. Chameleon (social)
Meaning:
- A social chameleon changes their personality or values to fit whoever they are with.
Examples:
- He was a chameleon conservative with his family, liberal with his friends.
- The chameleon had no real opinions; he just agreed with whoever was in the room.
38. Flimflammer
Meaning:
- A flimflammer is a person who uses fast talk and tricks to deceive others.
Examples:
- The flimflammer convinced the crowd to invest in a business that didn’t exist.
- She spotted the flimflammer at the market before he could trick her.
39. Crocodile (as in “crocodile tears”)
Meaning:
- Someone who shows fake sadness or sympathy that they don’t truly feel.
Examples:
- He cried crocodile tears at the meeting but laughed about it later.
- Don’t be fooled by her sympathy; it’s all crocodile tears.
40. Faker
Meaning:
- A faker is someone who pretends to be something they are not.
Examples:
- The faker pretended to be injured to avoid hard work.
- She had no patience for fakers who only showed up when things were going well.
41. Weasel
Meaning:
- A weasel (informal) is a sneaky, untrustworthy person who avoids blame or tricks others.
Examples:
- He was a weasel who always found a way to blame someone else.
- The weasel smiled and apologized, but immediately repeated the same behavior.
42. Smooth talker
Meaning:
- A smooth talker uses charming words to deceive or influence people.
Examples:
- The smooth talker convinced the committee with beautiful words but zero results.
- Be careful around smooth talkers, they can make bad ideas sound brilliant.
43. Judas
Meaning:
- A Judas is someone who betrays a friend or trusted person, often for personal gain.
Examples:
- He felt like Judas after sharing his friend’s personal struggles with the press.
- History has no shortage of stories about a Judas who sold out for profit.
44. Lip-syncer (figurative)
Meaning:
- Figuratively, someone who appears to support something but never puts in real effort.
Examples:
- He was just a lip-syncer on the diversity committee, present but never contributing.
- The company was full of lip-syncers who agreed with change but resisted every action.
45. Pseudo-moralist
Meaning:
- A pseudo-moralist pretends to have high moral standards but does not actually follow them.
Examples:
- The pseudo-moralist criticized everyone else’s diet while eating junk food in private.
- Social media has created a generation of pseudo-moralists who post values they never practice.
46. Whitened sepulchre
Meaning:
- An old phrase meaning someone who looks good on the outside but is corrupt inside.
Examples:
- The respected judge was a whitened sepulchre admired publicly, corrupt privately.
- That organization looks impressive, but insiders know it’s a whitened sepulchre.
47. Perfidious person
Meaning:
- A perfidious person is deliberately disloyal and untrustworthy, especially when you depend on them.
Examples:
- His perfidious behavior shocked his teammates, who had trusted him completely.
- She described her former business partner as perfidious after he stole her client list.
48. Perjurer
Meaning:
- A perjurer lies under oath or in situations where truth is expected and required.
Examples:
- The perjurer was caught after video evidence contradicted his sworn statement.
- Calling someone a perjurer is serious it means they lied when they promised to tell the truth.
49. Disingenuous person
Meaning:
- A disingenuous person pretends to be honest and sincere, but their motives are hidden.
Examples:
- His disingenuous apology only came after he got caught.
- She gave a disingenuous smile while planning to quit the project that afternoon.
50. Trimmer
Meaning:
- A trimmer is someone who changes their opinions based on what is most popular or convenient.
Examples:
- The trimmer switched his stance on taxes whenever polls showed a new trend.
- People called him a trimmer because he had no fixed beliefs, only flexible ones.
Conclusion
Learning synonyms for words like “hypocrite” is one of the smartest moves you can make as a writer or communicator. These 50 words give you more power, more precision, and more style in your writing, blogging, and everyday speech. Use them in your essays, emails, and conversations. The more you practice, the more natural they become. Start with just five today and watch your language skills grow fast.
