Uriah Heep

Uriah Heep and David Copperfield in an illustration of <em>David Copperfield</em>An illustration by Frederick Barnard from Charles Dickens's novel David Copperfield (1849–50). The character Uriah Heep (left) is shown with David Copperfield.

Uriah Heep, fictional character, the unctuous villain in Charles Dickens’s novel David Copperfield (1849–50). The name Uriah Heep has become a byword for a falsely humble hypocrite.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kara Rogers.
Citation Information
Article Title: Uriah Heep
Website Name: Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published: 13 December 2012
Access Date: November 14, 2026