betrayal

[ bih-trey-uhl ]

/ bɪˈtreɪ əl /

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See synonyms for betrayal on Thesaurus.com

noun

the act of exposing or delivering someone to an enemy through treachery or disloyalty:This security leak was an inexcusable betrayal of an ally whose very existence is now threatened.

the act of disappointing a person’s trust, hopes, or expectations:Imagine what a betrayal it is each time a rape victim finds out that her fellow citizens, and our legal system, are just not there for her.

the act of revealing information in violation of confidence:The library, which carried books criticizing the regime, was kept in private homes and frequently had to be moved to avoid betrayal of its secret to the local authorities.

failure to keep or honor a promise, principle, cherished memory, etc.:Many of his constituents are unhappy with his promotion of new mining and logging initiatives, seeing it as a betrayal of his green ideals.

an act or instance of unconsciously revealing or displaying some quality or characteristic, typically one preferably concealed:A slight tremor in her hand was the only betrayal of her fear.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of betrayal

betray + -al²

OTHER WORDS FROM betrayal

pre·be·tray·al, nounself-be·tray·al, noun

Words nearby betrayal

betony, betook, torn between, be, touched by, be, betray, betrayal, betrayed, betroth, betrothal, betrothed, Betsiamites

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT BETRAYAL

What does betrayal mean?

Betrayal is when someone you trust breaks that trust by doing something that hurts you. This can take many forms, such as a soldier working with the enemy, one family member stealing from another, or a friend spreading rumors about another friend.

Betrayal is the noun form of the verb betray, which means to be disloyal or traitorous.

A specific act of disloyalty is a betrayal, as in The businessman never forgave his partner’s betrayal of joining his hated rival’s company.

Betrayal is also used to describe how you reveal something unconsciously, like how a blush betrays embarrassment.

An act is only considered a betrayal if it violates an existing trust. The word typically implies a serious violation of trust that causes serious harm.

Example: The knights’ betrayal of their king helped the invaders win the war.

Where does betrayal come from?

The word betrayal comes from the 1540s. It is based on the verb betray, which comes from the Latin trādere meaning “to hand over.” The noun traitor also comes from this verb. The suffix -al is used to form nouns from verbs, like in removal or withdrawal.

Throughout history, betrayals have been considered one of the most vile and cowardly acts that a person could perform. Even today, betrayal of a person’s country is considered one of the worst crimes a person can commit. In fact, United States law specifically recommends that traitors face the highest possible punishment.

In Inferno, part one of the epic poem The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri, people guilty of betrayal are sent to the lowest, cruelest depths of Hell. According to the poem, Satan himself spends his time torturing history’s biggest traitors.

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What are some other forms related to betrayal?

betray (verb)
betrayer (noun)

What are some synonyms for betrayal?

What are some words that share a root or word element with betrayal?

What are some words that often get used in discussing betrayal?

How is betrayal used in real life?

Betrayal is used to mean a severe violation of trust.

What if the spider I killed in my room lived his whole life thinking I was his roommate or friend and died wondering what brought on this burst of anger and betrayal?

— Dr Moh (@MohWorldent) September 21, 2020

the human wiped away my eye booger. only to pet it back onto me. i have never experienced such betrayal

— Thoughts of Dog® (@dog_feelings) September 10, 2020

Who is your favorite Disney villain? Who did you love to hate? Mine was Scar from "The Lion King". The betrayal #fb

— Tony Baker (@TonyBakercomedy) October 9, 2010

Try using betrayal!

Which of the following is an antonym (opposite) of betrayal?

A. deceit
B. loyalty
C. cowardliness
D. treason

How to use betrayal in a sentence

Though the episode ends on a close-up of her husband’s eyes, Kidman’s remain our window into Grace’s shock, her betrayal — her, well, undoing.
The real star of ‘The Undoing’? Nicole Kidman’s eyeballs.|Bethonie Butler|November 30, 2020|Washington Post
It’s also designed to examine less playful, more destructive betrayals of trust.
The mind-boggling end of Susan Choi’s Trust Exercise, explained|Constance Grady|November 20, 2020|Vox
As I can testify firsthand, napping while working from home can feel like a betrayal of trust, a breach of the social contract that assumes that you’re still hammering away even when your manager can’t see you.
Why you shouldn’t feel guilty for napping while working at home|Sarah Todd|September 20, 2020|Quartz
The moment early on in the film when someone she loves betrays her by slicing off her wings — ostensibly in order to “save” her — comes off like an excruciating form of conversion therapy.
Toward a queer Disney canon|Emily VanDerWerff|September 4, 2020|Vox

Equating antifa with QAnon betrays how Facebook fundamentally doesn’t grasp the issue.
Will Facebook’s QAnon crackdown succeed? What people are saying so far|Jeff|August 20, 2020|Fortune
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
And their suspicions make them see betrayal at every turn, even when incompetence may be the cause of a particular problem.
Ukraine Militias Warn of Anti-Kiev Coup|Jamie Dettmer|November 28, 2014|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
Such a betrayal led him upon the following day to send a note to Mrs. Chepstow, asking for an appointment.
Bella Donna|Robert Hichens
And the surgeon looked at him; but there rose up in his remembrance how he had been avoiding betrayal for years.
Elster's Folly|Mrs. Henry Wood
Then, regretting the betrayal of his feelings, the young man relapsed into gloomy silence.
The Seven Cardinal Sins: Envy and Indolence|Eugne Sue
These people received Mosby's men into their houses as their guests, and neither danger nor want could tempt their betrayal.
Famous Adventures And Prison Escapes of the Civil War|Various
He was much rather inclined to think with Lucien Bruslart that Latour had had a part in her betrayal.
The Light That Lures|Percy Brebner