Library / English Dictionary

BETRAY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Give away information about somebody

Example:

He told on his classmate who had cheated on the exam

Synonyms:

betray; denounce; give away; grass; rat; shit; shop; snitch; stag; tell on

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "betray" is one way to...):

inform (impart knowledge of some fact, state of affairs, or event to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "betray"):

sell someone out (give information that compromises others)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

betrayer (one who reveals confidential information in return for money)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Cause someone to believe an untruth

Example:

The insurance company deceived me when they told me they were covering my house

Synonyms:

betray; deceive; lead astray

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "betray" is one way to...):

misinform; mislead (give false or misleading information to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "betray"):

impersonate; personate; pose (pretend to be someone you are not; sometimes with fraudulent intentions)

bamboozle; hoodwink; lead by the nose; play false; pull the wool over someone's eyes; snow (conceal one's true motives from especially by elaborately feigning good intentions so as to gain an end)

befool; cod; dupe; fool; gull; put on; put one across; put one over; slang; take in (fool or hoax)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

betrayer (a person who says one thing and does another)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Reveal unintentionally

Example:

Her smile betrayed her true feelings

Synonyms:

betray; bewray

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "betray" is one way to...):

break; bring out; disclose; discover; divulge; expose; give away; let on; let out; reveal; uncover; unwrap (make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sense 4

Meaning:

Disappoint, prove undependable to; abandon, forsake

Example:

His children failed him in the crisis

Synonyms:

betray; fail

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Hypernyms (to "betray" is one way to...):

disappoint; let down (fail to meet the hopes or expectations of)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sense 5

Meaning:

Deliver to an enemy by treachery

Example:

The spy betrayed his country

Synonyms:

betray; sell

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "betray" is one way to...):

cozen; deceive; delude; lead on (be false to; be dishonest with)

Verb group:

sell (give up for a price or reward)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "betray"):

double cross (betray by double-dealing)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

Sam cannot betray Sue

Derivation:

betrayal (an act of deliberate betrayal)

betrayer (one who reveals confidential information in return for money)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Be sexually unfaithful to one's partner in marriage

Example:

Might her husband be wandering?

Synonyms:

betray; cheat; cheat on; cuckold; wander

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "betray" is one way to...):

cozen; deceive; delude; lead on (be false to; be dishonest with)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "betray"):

two-time (carry on a romantic relationship with two people at the same time)

fool around; play around (commit adultery)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

Sam cannot betray Sue

Credits

 Context examples: 

"Good morning, Negook," she said, her voice betraying her effort.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

Then the queen was very much frightened; for she knew that the glass always spoke the truth, and was sure that the servant had betrayed her.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

As it was, I was only betrayed into paying a most unreasonable visit.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

Could the dæmon who had (I did not for a minute doubt) murdered my brother also in his hellish sport have betrayed the innocent to death and ignominy?

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

"I have very often wished to undeceive yourself and my mother," added Elinor; "and once or twice I have attempted it;—but without betraying my trust, I never could have convinced you."

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

She would not betray her trust, I suppose, without bribery and corruption, for she really did know where her friend was to be found.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

My uncle’s eyebrows betrayed his astonishment.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I have your pledge that the name shall remain ever a secret, and that you will neither say nor write one word which might betray it.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Delicacy to her parents made her careful not to betray such a preference of her uncle's house.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

Designedly, at least, Henry could not have betrayed her.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)