One of the great unwashed. Term applied to a person who lacks culture, sophistication and class. Someone with a sheep's mentality. Way behind in life.
Mike Rehmeyer is uneducated, has mom tell him how to think and what to do and mooches off the state for a living. That must make him one of the Hoi Polloi.
by Rexormhe February 28, 2008
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Greek for "the majority".
Usually this means " the ignorant masses", or "the common people" and is used by somebody who thinks that he or she is above them.

The really cool thing about this is that most of the pretentious pricks who like to use the term don't know what it means, so they say things like:
"The hoi polloi are necessary for the rest of us who actually run the country", or "Without the hoi polloi, life would be less good"
Because the word "hoi" is "the", there's no need to use "the" when saying or writing this.

So those people who use it in that way prove that they are ignorant and uneducated baboons themselves. Don'cha just love it?
George " We are glad to have the hoi polloi because without them we would not maintain our own standards and would have to do menial work."

Chuck "You pretentious dickwad, I just love it when you kick yourself in the ass, and don't even know it!"

George " What are you talking about? I imagine you are one of the hoi polloi I was talking about!"

Chuck "Stop it, I'm pissing myself!"
by HoiPolly May 28, 2010
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The masses, the great unwashed.
Mildly derogatory way to designate the common people as a group, implying they are uncultured and apt to act stupidly.
see Panurgian Sheep
from Ancient Greek : "the many"
Election year again... those hoi polloi are still going to let themselves be manipulated into voting for the wrong guy.
by Sylvain October 15, 2004
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Namby-pamby phrase for the masses, or the great unwashed. Fr. Ancient Greek "the many." Saying "the hoi polloi" is an ineffictive attempt at literary snobbery
We read The Atlantic; hoi polloi read People.
by octopod June 13, 2004
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A stupid term used by pseudo intellectuals with unjustified superiority complexes. Usually think they are above people because Mommy told them so despite the evidence of them being total losers in society. Mostly a term used by inarticulate hypocritical people who are trying to sound haughty & witty.
''The real hoi polloi''

1. A person who votes for and or likes George Bush.

2. A person who you can't expect much from. Someone who thinks they're witty for liking something thats uncommon yet is the biggest hypocrite of them all and listens to other people for guidance.

3.A person who can't support and or think for themselves and relies on someone to take care of them.

A person who claims others are the 'hoi polloi' yet dosen't realize they're even lower than that.
by Uranes November 8, 2007
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Common people who like to crash parties aside from being not to poor yet hate to buy tickets for shows.
Party boy : I don't know you. What the hell.

Stranger : I'm a hoi polloi

Party Boy : Shit, man! Security!!
by nice_boi April 15, 2011
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