hoi polloi
/ˈhɔɪ pəˌlɔɪ/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.88 in modern English
14
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The common people; the masses. (Used with or without the definite article.)
noun
The elite.
Example Sentences
- "The clientele is a select species of hoi polloi, intermixed with writers, painters and politicos and the more sophisticated American tourists."
- "But what, pray tell, is a “librarian”? Consult the same infallible source and you will learn: “One who has the care or charge of a library.” And where does that leave the most of us, hoi great unwashed polloi who have neither the “care” nor the “charge” of a library?"
- "Holding the meeting in Egypt is a Machiavellian way to look international but in reality to prevent hoi Interent polloi from attending the meeting."
- "Naturally, the anthropological society did not wish to share its business with hoi polloi, so Herr Hagenbeck kindly offered them a private viewing."
- "The extension caused fury in Hampstead, where southbound trains began to arrive fully loaded with the hoi polloi of rapidly growing Edgware, Burnt Oak, Colindale, Hendon, Brent and Golders Green."
- "Given the behaviour of the members, who do normally come to Lord’s, this seemed a bizarre attempt to offload the unpleasantness on hoi polloi taking advantage of some rare £25 tickets."