Well-read · Often misused · Borrowed words · Politics & society
Hoi polloi: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Hoi polloi noun. Ordinary people, the masses, usually said with mock disdain.
How to say it
hoy puh-LOY/ˌhɔɪ pəˈlɔɪ/
3 syllables, stressed on the third (LOY).
Hoi polloi in a sentence
The VIP lounge keeps the celebrities safely away from the hoi polloi.
He liked to joke that he'd come down to mingle with the hoi polloi.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- the masses
- the rabble
- common people
- riff-raff
Opposite:
- the elite
- the upper crust
Careful
Hoi polloi means the common people, not the elite. Because it sounds posh (perhaps by echo of hoity-toity) it's often used for the upper classes, which says the opposite.
Where hoi polloi comes from
From Greek hoi polloi, the many.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
He liked to joke that he'd come down to mingle with the _____.
- epicentre
- hoi polloi
- dilemma
Show the answer
hoi polloi: He liked to joke that he'd come down to mingle with the hoi polloi.