hoi polloi

HOY´-puh-LOY´

(‘the many’ in Greek)

Hoi polloi is used in English to denote the general populace or (gasp!) the masses, often in a pejorative sense (the rabble).

Since hoi is Greek for ‘the,’ it’s redundant to write or say “the hoi polloi. ” Don’t do either of those things unless you want to look and sound like an uneducated member of hoi polloi.

I never go to shopping malls because I dislike hoi polloi.