betrayed
Americanadjective
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delivered or exposed to an enemy by treachery or disloyalty.
After being double-crossed by one of his own, the betrayed agent sought retribution against the intelligence service.
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not guarded, maintained, or fulfilled faithfully.
The political history of that nation is a painful one, full of betrayed promises and almost continuous war.
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having one’s hopes or expectations disappointed, especially through abandonment or unfaithfulness.
For a betrayed spouse, the affair can be the most devastating experience of a lifetime.
-
revealed or disclosed in violation of confidence.
In the underground economy, a betrayed secret is lethal to any operation.
-
deceived, misguided, or seduced.
I’m expecting a thunderous reaction from the betrayed public as the disastrous effects of these policies strike them personally.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of betrayed
First recorded in 1605–15; betray ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses; betray ( def. ) + -ed 1 ( def. ) for the verb sense
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She felt betrayed, and sickened, but did not immediately end the relationship.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
Soon the mordant Janice is chuckling to herself: “Now we’ve got ourselves a potboiler. A cheating husband. A mistress. A betrayed spouse.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Fisher and other speakers also said they felt betrayed by the terms of the settlement, which they viewed as more favorable to Paramount.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
“That was when everything exploded. On a personal level, we felt betrayed, but on a broader level, we felt treasoned,” he told me.
From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026
One of the programs betrayed by Pelton was codenamed IVY BELLS.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
