If someone betrays their country or their friends, they give information to an enemy, putting their country's security or their friends' safety at risk.
They offered me money if I would betray my associates. [VERB noun]
The group were informers, and they betrayed the plan to the Germans. [VERB noun + to]
betrayercountable noun
'Traitor!' she screamed. 'Betrayer of England!' [+ of]
3. verb
If you betray an ideal or your principles, you say or do something which goes against those beliefs.
We betray the ideals of our country when we support capital punishment. [VERB noun]
betrayercountable noun
Babearth regarded the middle classes as the betrayers of the Revolution.
Synonyms: traitor, deceiver, informer, renegade More Synonyms of betray
4. verb
If you betray a feeling or quality, you show it without intending to.
She studied his face, but it betrayed nothing. [VERB noun]
He nodded his head instead of saying anything where his voice might betray him. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: give away, tell, show, reveal More Synonyms of betray
More Synonyms of betray
betray in British English
(bɪˈtreɪ)
verb(transitive)
1.
to aid an enemy of (one's nation, friend, etc); be a traitor to
to betray one's country
2.
to hand over or expose (one's nation, friend, etc) treacherously to an enemy
3.
to disclose (a secret, confidence, etc) treacherously
4.
to break (a promise) or be disloyal to (a person's trust)
5.
to disappoint the expectations of; fail
his tired legs betrayed him
6.
to show signs of; indicate
if one taps china, the sound betrays any faults
7.
to reveal unintentionally
his grin betrayed his satisfaction
8. betray oneself
9.
to lead astray; deceive
10. euphemistic
to seduce and then forsake (a woman)
Derived forms
betrayal (beˈtrayal)
noun
betrayer (beˈtrayer)
noun
Word origin
C13: from be- + trayen from Old French trair, from Latin trādere
betray in American English
(biˈtreɪ; bɪˈtreɪ)
verb transitive
1.
a.
to help the enemy of (one's country, cause, etc.); be a traitor to
b.
to deliver or expose to an enemy traitorously
2.
to break faith with; fail to meet the hopes of
he betrayed my trust in him
3.
to lead astray; deceive; specif., to seduce and then desert
4.
to reveal unknowingly or against one's wishes
his face betrays his fear
5.
to reveal or show signs of; indicate
the house betrays its age
6.
to disclose (secret information, confidential plans, etc.)
SIMILAR WORDS: deˈceive, reˈveal
Derived forms
betrayal (beˈtrayal)
noun
betrayer (beˈtrayer)
noun
Word origin
ME bitraien < be-, intens. + traien, betray < OFr trair < L tradere, to hand over: see treason
Examples of 'betray' in a sentence
betray
The speed with which his confidence has collapsed betrays the pressure under which he puts himself.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Canada is ignoring its global responsibility and betraying its promises.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Some of us will be betrayed by our friends.
Christianity Today (2000)
They have had the pleasure of discovering that no one was betraying them after all.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
But privilege came with risk and promises were betrayed.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
How would it feel to be betrayed by your friends?
The Sun (2014)
It feels like they are betraying the one they loved and lost.
The Sun (2014)
This is more likely to occur if one adult is betrayed by another within a supposedly committed relationship.
Knowles, Jane Know Your Own Mind (1991)
But balanced against that is the fear of letting down your family and betraying the ones you love.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Explain that suicide is a plea for help and that telling you or another responsible adult is not betraying a confidence.
Steinberg, Laurence & Levine, Ann You and Your Adolescent: A Parents' Guide for Ages 10 to 20 (1990)
At least now they can throw their weight behind the hosts without feeling like they are betraying one of their own.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Why did he betray his friend?
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Their friends are busy betraying them.
Charles Glass The Tribes Triumphant (2006)
She cannot enter one world without betraying the other; she feels she belongs nowhere.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
In his case it could have been as innocent as a five-year-old friend betraying him after a playground fight.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
His confidence had been betrayed.
Jonathan Gregson BLOOD AGAINST THE SNOWS: The Tragic Story of Nepal's Royal Dynasty (2002)
It was an approach that betrayed the frayed confidence of a side who have won only one of their past 24 championship matches.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
That betrays both their confidence in getting away with it and the fact they don't see dole fraud as especially wrong or shameful.
The Sun (2015)
Suppose I harm a friend by betraying a confidence.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Had I betrayed that confidence in his interests?
John Cornwell Seminary Boy (2006)
Quotations
To betray, you must first belongKim Philby
In other languages
betray
British English: betray /bɪˈtreɪ/ VERB
If you betray someone who trusts you, you do something which hurts and disappoints them.
He is the only one who did not betray his people and co-operate with the enemy.
American English: betray
Arabic: يَخونُ
Brazilian Portuguese: trair
Chinese: 背叛
Croatian: izdati
Czech: zradit
Danish: forråde
Dutch: verraden
European Spanish: traicionar
Finnish: pettää kavaltaa
French: trahir
German: verraten
Greek: προδίδω
Italian: tradire
Japanese: 裏切る
Korean: 배신하다
Norwegian: forråde
Polish: zdradzić
European Portuguese: trair
Romanian: a trăda
Russian: предавать
Latin American Spanish: traicionar
Swedish: förråda
Thai: ทรยศ
Turkish: ihanet etmek
Ukrainian: зраджувати
Vietnamese: phản bội
Chinese translation of 'betray'
betray
(bɪˈtreɪ)
vt
[friend, country, comrade]背叛 (bèipàn)
[sb's trust, confidence]辜负(負) (gūfù)
(= reveal)[emotion]流露 (liúlù)
1 (verb)
Definition
to hand over or expose (one's nation, friend, etc.) treacherously to an enemy
He might be seen as having betrayed his mother.
Synonyms
be disloyal to
break with
grass on (British, slang)
dob in (Australian, slang)
double-cross (informal)
They were frightened of being double-crossed.
stab in the back
be unfaithful to
sell down the river (informal)
grass up (slang)
shop (slang, mainly British)
Fraudsters are often shopped by honest friends and neighbours.
put the finger on (informal)
inform on or against
sell out (informal)
be treacherous to
2 (verb)
Definition
to disclose (a secret or confidence) treacherously
She studied his face, but it betrayed nothing.
Synonyms
give away
tell
The facts tell a very different story.
show
She had enough time to show her gratitude.
reveal
She has refused to reveal her daughter's whereabouts.
expose
After the scandal was exposed, he moved abroad.
disclose
clapboard façades that revolve to disclose snug interiors
uncover
Auditors said they had uncovered evidence of fraud.
manifest
He's only convincing when that inner fury manifests itself.
divulge
He was charged with divulging state secrets.
blurt out
unmask
Elliott unmasked the master spy and traitor.
lay bare
tell on
let slip
evince (formal)
He had never, hitherto, evinced any particular interest in economic matters.
3 (verb)
Synonyms
abandon
She claimed that her friends had abandoned her.
desert
He deserted our team years ago.
walk out on
forsake
I still love you and would never forsake you.
jilt
I was jilted by my first fiancé.
Quotation
To betray, you must first belong [Kim Philby]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of desert
Definition
to abandon (a person or place) without intending to return
He deserted our team years ago.
Synonyms
leave,
abandon,
dump (informal),
strand,
ditch (informal),
betray,
maroon,
walk out on (informal),
forsake,
jilt,
run out on (informal),
throw over,
leave stranded,
leave high and dry,
leave (someone) in the lurch
in the sense of disclose
Definition
to allow to be seen
clapboard façades that revolve to disclose snug interiors