betray

[ bih-trey ]

/ bɪˈtreɪ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR betray ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to deliver or expose to an enemy by treachery or disloyalty: Benedict Arnold betrayed his country.

to be unfaithful in guarding, maintaining, or fulfilling: to betray a trust.

to disappoint the hopes or expectations of; be disloyal to: to betray one's friends.

to reveal or disclose in violation of confidence: to betray a secret.

to reveal unconsciously (something one would preferably conceal): Her nervousness betrays her insecurity.

to show or exhibit; reveal; disclose: an unfeeling remark that betrays his lack of concern.

to deceive, misguide, or corrupt: a young lawyer betrayed by political ambitions into irreparable folly.

to seduce and desert.

Origin of betray

1200–50; Middle English bitraien, equivalent to bi- be- + traien < Old French trair < Latin trādere to betray. See traitor

SYNONYMS FOR betray

4 bare, expose, tell, divulge.

6 display, manifest, expose, uncover.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR betray ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR betray

4, 6 hide, conceal.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR betray ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM betray

be·tray·al, noun be·tray·er, noun pre·be·tray, verb (used with object) pre·be·tray·al, noun

self-be·tray·al, noun self-be·tray·ing, adjective un·be·trayed, adjective un·be·tray·ing, adjective

Words nearby betray

betimes, betjeman, betoken, betony, betook, betray, betroth, betrothal, betrothed, betsiamites, betsiboka

Example sentences from the Web for betrayal

Betrayal…you can hear it…betraying the thing he loves for a cheap bit of film publicity.

The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile |Robert Ward |January 3, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
We all felt the betrayal not so much of the institution as of the man who had noisily and heroically put it on the map.

Ben Bradlee Was the Last of the Newspaper Giants |Tom Shales |October 22, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
To a certain degree, there is an irrational sense of betrayal.

Renee Zellweger's Face Gets More Medical Scrutiny Than Ebola |Emily Shire |October 21, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The worldwide panic over her new look is rooted in a sense of betrayal to the "be yourself" values that Bridget Jones embodied.

Renee Zellweger's Face Gets More Medical Scrutiny Than Ebola |Emily Shire |October 21, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

Guns, money, sex, and betrayal: Rarely do the news gods smile down on us with such charity.

Glock Family Goes Down, Guns Blazing |Brandy Zadrozny |October 11, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Was there no fear of betrayal through the servants at Harmony?

The Petticoat Commando |Johanna Brandt
The punishment for betrayal of secrecy was "the extreme penalty of the Law."

The Sequel of Appomattox |Walter Lynwood Fleming
Yes; his trusted servant has betrayed him, and never did master more repent a trust, or suffer greater pain by its betrayal.

The Death Shot |Mayne Reid
I—I failed you then; I fainted; I felt myself to blame for your betrayal.

Angel Island |Inez Haynes Gillmore
It would be a betrayal of trust to yield to the solicitations of one party what you have undertaken to return to both.

The Leavenworth Case |Anna Katherine Green

British Dictionary definitions for betrayal

betray

/ (bɪˈtreɪ) /

verb (tr)

to aid an enemy of (one's nation, friend, etc); be a traitor to to betray one's country

to hand over or expose (one's nation, friend, etc) treacherously to an enemy

to disclose (a secret, confidence, etc) treacherously

to break (a promise) or be disloyal to (a person's trust)

to disappoint the expectations of; fail his tired legs betrayed him

to show signs of; indicate if one taps china, the sound betrays any faults

to reveal unintentionally his grin betrayed his satisfaction

betray oneself to reveal one's true character, intentions, etc

to lead astray; deceive

euphemistic to seduce and then forsake (a woman)

Derived forms of betray

betrayal, noun betrayer, noun

Word Origin for betray

C13: from be- + trayen from Old French trair, from Latin trādere

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

betray

verb (used with object)

Origin of betray

SYNONYMS FOR betray

ANTONYMS FOR betray

OTHER WORDS FROM betray

Words nearby betray

Example sentences from the Web for betrayal

British Dictionary definitions for betrayal

verb (tr)

Derived forms of betray

Word Origin for betray

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

betray

verb (used with object)

Origin of betray

SYNONYMS FOR betray

ANTONYMS FOR betray

OTHER WORDS FROM betray

Words nearby betray

Words related to betrayal

Example sentences from the Web for betrayal

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for betrayal

verb (tr)

Derived forms of betray

Word Origin for betray

British Dictionary definitions for betrayal