Tartufe (Noun)
Meaning
A hypocrite who pretends to religious piety (after the protagonist in a play by Moliere).
Classification
Nouns denoting people.
Examples
- He was notorious for being a tartufe, often sermonizing about moral integrity while secretly embezzling funds from the charity.
- The politician presented himself as a devout figure, but many saw him as a tartufe for his corrupt dealings behind closed doors.
- Her sudden show of religiosity was seen by some as a thinly veiled attempt to conceal her true nature, that of a tartufe using faith for personal gain.
- The town's pastor claimed to be a man of God but was revealed to be a tartufe, using the church's funds for his own lavish lifestyle.
- Many voters felt that the candidate was a tartufe, leveraging his professed piety to sway the polls while hiding his more unsavory intentions.