noun / verb
cant
KANT/kænt/
Talk that falsely claims moral or religious sincerity.
The speech is full of moral cant that his actions contradict.
Etymology
The connection with singing runs through the whining speech of beggars asking for alms. The word then broadened to group jargon and became a contemptuous label for pretentious or hypocritical talk.
In context
this is the party line but it's just [cant] because the person saying it doesn't believe it
see through the hype and the cant and the hypocrisy
More examples
- She rejected the cant of false piety.
- He canted about honesty while cheating customers.
- They were canting about their supposed virtue.
Forms
cant · cants · canted · canting
Similar words
- hypocrisy
- Includes insincere behavior as well as speech.
- sanctimony
- Emphasizes a show of moral superiority.