betray

CEFRC1

/bɪˈtɹeɪ/

verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    To reveal something without meaning to.

  2. 02

    verb

    Extra detail

    To prove faithless or treacherous to, as to a trust or one who trusts; to be false to; to deceive.

Examples

  • A few words may betray a man's true character.

  • He was offered money to betray his colleagues.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
4
Synonyms
5

Deep Dive

verb

Extra meanings

  1. To violate the confidence of, by disclosing a secret, or that which one is bound in honor not to make known.

  2. To deliver into the hands of an enemy by treachery or fraud, in violation of trust; to give up treacherously or faithlessly.

  3. To disclose (a secret, etc.) in deliberate violation of someone’s confidence.

More examples

In context

  • John is not a man to betray you.

  • He betrayed his own sister to the secret police.

  • to betray a person or a cause

Synonyms

Antonyms

Quick test

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Question 1 · Quick check

The spy decided to blank his country by selling secrets to the enemy.

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Nearby

Origin

verb

From Middle English betrayen, bitrayen (“to commit an act of treason against”), equivalent to be- + tray (“to betray”). Middle English bi- is from Old English be- (“be-”), from Proto-Germanic *bi- (“be-”), from Proto-Germanic *bi (“near, by”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁epi (“at, near”). Compare also traitor, treason, tradition. The modern sense “to disclose, discover, reveal unintentionally” is due to influence from or merger with English bewray (“to reveal, divulge”), which is similar in sound and meaning. The similarity with German betrügen, Dutch bedriegen, from Proto-West Germanic *bidreugan (“to betray, deceive”), is coincidental.