perfidious
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of perfidious
First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin perfidiōsus “faithless, dishonest”; cf. perfidy, -ous
Explanation
If someone accuses you of being perfidious, you should probably be offended — it means underhanded, treacherous, deceitful — even evil. If you betray people often, you're perfidious: traitors are extremely perfidious. Besides betrayal, this word implies lying and maybe other kinds of awful behavior, like stealing and taking bribes. Everyone tries to avoid perfidious people. Perfidious is kind of an old-fashioned word, but being perfidious will never go out of style, unfortunately.
Vocabulary lists containing perfidious
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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.
Malodorous, Nefarious, Obstreperous, Perfidious -- I could go on all day.
From Washington Post • Aug. 2, 2018
Cosmus, Duke of Florence, had a Desperate Saying against Perfidious or Neglecting Friends, as if these wrongs were unpardonable.
From At a Winter's Fire by Capes, Bernard Edward Joseph
Of course an Argus-eyed busy-body had seen Tinker depart in it; and M. Cognier, an Anglophobe, had declared his intention of punishing this insolence of Perfidious Albion by handing him over to the police.
From The Admirable Tinker Child of the World by Jepson, Edgar
Perfidious Maid, I might have thought thou'dst prove False to thy Prince, and Rival in my Love.
From The Works of Aphra Behn, Volume III by Summers, Montague
Perfidious Diva had had her dress dyed too… Miss Mapp’s courage rose to the occasion.
From Miss Mapp by Benson, E. F. (Edward Frederic)
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.
