Question

hoi polloi He's a terrible snob, the kind of person who thinks it's funny to say things like “the riffraff” and “the hoi polloi” and “the great unwashed.” hɔɪ ˌpɑˈlɔɪ

Accepted Answer

The general population; the masses. In Greek, hoi polloi means simply “the many.” (Even though hoi itself means “the,” in English we almost always say “the hoi polloi.”) It comes originally from the famous Funeral Oration by Pericles, where it was actually used in a positive way. Today it's generally used by people who think of themselves as superior—though it's also sometimes used in Pericles' democratic spirit. By the way, it has no relation to hoity-toity, meaning “stuck-up,” which starts with the same sound but has nothing to do with Greek

word	hoi polloi
definition	The general population; the masses.
eg_sentence	He's a terrible snob, the kind of person who thinks it's funny to say things like “the riffraff” and “the hoi polloi” and “the great unwashed.”
explanation	In Greek, hoi polloi means simply “the many.” (Even though hoi itself means “the,” in English we almost always say “the hoi polloi.”) It comes originally from the famous Funeral Oration by Pericles, where it was actually used in a positive way. Today it's generally used by people who think of themselves as superior—though it's also sometimes used in Pericles' democratic spirit. By the way, it has no relation to hoity-toity, meaning “stuck-up,” which starts with the same sound but has nothing to do with Greek
IPA	hɔɪ ˌpɑˈlɔɪ

Hoi Polloi Means General Population Masses Terrible Snob