Uriah Heepn.
/jᵿˌrʌɪə ˈhiːp/, U.S. /jʊˌraɪə ˈhip/ Used allusively for a man who is hypocritically humble. Also attributive.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > humility > [noun] > humble people > hypocritically humble person
Uriah Heep1876
1876 in Sperber & Trittschuh Amer. Polit. Terms (1962) 15/1 It is a matchless product of Uriah Heep ‘harmony’, or of Ananias ‘harmony’.
1974 Listener 4 Apr. 438/1 ‘If I may—’ often issues from the lips of the Uriah Heeps.
1976 A. J. Russell Pour Hemlock v. 57 A Uriah Heep kind of guy named Logan.
Derivatives
Uriah Heepish adj. reminiscent of Uriah Heep.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > humility > [adjective] > hypocritically humble
Uriah Heepish1915
1915 J. Webster Dear Enemy 77 The Uriah Heepish attitude toward trustees that characterized Mrs. Lippett's manners.
1947 I. J. C. Brown Say Word 106 Uriah Heepish creatures.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1986; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.1876