Hypocritical means saying one thing but doing another, especially when someone claims to have standards or beliefs they don't actually follow themselves. A hypocritical person might lecture others about honesty while lying regularly, or insist that everyone follow rules they secretly break.

Imagine a student who constantly complains about classmates talking during quiet reading time, then whispers and giggles with friends the moment the teacher looks away. That's hypocritical behavior. Or picture someone who posts online about the importance of being kind, then turns around and mocks other people behind their backs.

The word comes from ancient Greek theater, where hypokrites meant an actor playing a part. A hypocrite is essentially acting like someone they're not, pretending to be more virtuous or principled than their actual behavior shows.

Being hypocritical is different from simply making mistakes or failing to live up to your own standards sometimes. Everyone struggles to practice what they preach. Hypocrisy involves a pattern of pretending to hold beliefs you clearly don't respect, or judging others for things you do yourself.

When you call someone's behavior hypocritical, you're pointing out the gap between what they claim and what they actually do. The noun form is hypocrisy, and someone who acts this way is called a hypocrite.