betray

verb

bi-TRAY/bɪˈtɹeɪ/

7 meanings of betray

1
verbtransitive
To prove faithless or treacherous toward one who trusts you; to be false to a trust.
The minister betrayed the voters who had put their faith in him.
Spies who betray their own country face severe punishment.
Similardouble-cross, deceive, fail
2
verbtransitive
To deliver someone into the hands of an enemy through treachery or fraud, in violation of the trust placed in you.
He betrayed the resistance fighters to the occupying forces for a handful of coins.
Soldiers who betray their comrades in wartime are tried for treason.
3
verbtransitive
To reveal something unintentionally, especially what prudence would keep concealed; to give it away by an outward sign.
His voice betrayed a nervousness he had tried hard to mask.
Small details in the letter betray the author's true intentions.
Similarreveal, show, expose, indicate
Oppositehide, conceal, mask, disguise
4
verbtransitive
To violate someone's confidence by disclosing a secret one was bound in honor not to make known.
He betrayed his old mentor by leaking their private conversations.
Journalists who betray their sources quickly lose all credibility.
Similarexpose
Oppositeprotect
5
verbtransitive
To disclose a secret deliberately, in willful violation of the confidence someone placed in you.
He betrayed the company's trade secrets to a competitor.
Editors who betray off-the-record remarks rarely get another interview.
Similarreveal, disclose, divulge, leak
Oppositeconceal
6
verbtransitive
To mislead someone, exposing them to unforeseen trouble or leading them into error or wrongdoing.
His own overconfidence betrayed him into a costly mistake.
Smooth talk can betray the unwary into bad bargains.
Similarmislead, lure
7
verbtransitive
To lead astray by seduction, often under a promise of marriage, and then abandon.
He betrayed the young woman after swearing he would marry her.
Old ballads warn of charming men who betray and abandon innocent girls.
Similarjilt

Practice

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Origin

From Middle English betrayen or bitrayen, "to commit an act of treason against," equivalent to be- + tray ("to betray"); it is related to words like traitor, treason, and tradition. The modern sense "to reveal something unintentionally" comes from influence from or merger with English bewray ("to reveal, divulge"), which sounds and means something similar. Its resemblance to German betrügen and Dutch bedriegen is coincidental.