betray

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to give away information about somebody

   I betrayed my friend's job search to their current employer.

2. 2
   verb

   to cause someone to believe an untruth

   The ideologue betrayed their followers.

3. 3
   verb

   to reveal unintentionally

   Your smile betrayed your true feelings.

4. 4
   verb

   to disappoint, prove undependable to

   You betrayed me again.

5. 5
   verb

   to deliver to an enemy by treachery

   They betrayed us by leaking secrets to the other team.

6. 6
   verb

   to be sexually unfaithful to one's partner in marriage

   They betrayed their partner publicly.

7. 7
   verb

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

   An officer betrayed the city.

8. 8
   verb

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

   to betray a person or a cause

Etymology

From Middle English betrayen, bitrayen (“to commit an act of treason against”), equivalent to be- + tray (“to betray”). further etymology information 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 b…