Definitions for betray
bɪˈtreɪbe·tray

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. betray, bewrayverb

   reveal unintentionally

   "Her smile betrayed her true feelings"

2. betray, sellverb

   deliver to an enemy by treachery

   "Judas sold Jesus"; "The spy betrayed his country"

3. fail, betrayverb

   disappoint, prove undependable to; abandon, forsake

   "His sense of smell failed him this time"; "His strength finally failed him"; "His children failed him in the crisis"

4. cheat on, cheat, cuckold, betray, wanderverb

   be sexually unfaithful to one's partner in marriage

   "She cheats on her husband"; "Might her husband be wandering?"

5. denounce, tell on, betray, give away, rat, grass, shit, shop, snitch, stagverb

   give away information about somebody

   "He told on his classmate who had cheated on the exam"

6. deceive, betray, lead astrayverb

   cause someone to believe an untruth

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

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. betrayverb

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

2. betrayverb

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

3. betrayverb

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

4. betrayverb

   To disclose or discover, as something which prudence would conceal; to reveal unintentionally; to bewray.

5. betrayverb

   To mislead; to expose to inconvenience not foreseen to lead into error or sin.

6. betrayverb

   To lead astray, as a maiden; to seduce (as under promise of marriage) and then abandon.

7. betrayverb

   To show or to indicate; -- said of what is not obvious at first, or would otherwise be concealed.

8. Etymology: From betrayen, betraien, equivalent to, from traïr, from tradere, present active infinitive of trado. In some senses, merged with or influenced by bewraien, bewreyen, see bewray. Compare also traitor, treason, tradition.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. To BETRAYverb

   Etymology: trahir, Fr.

   1. To give into the hands of enemies by treachery, or breach of trust.

   If ye be come to betray me to mine enemies, seeing there is no wrong in mine hands, the God of our fathers look thereon, and rebuke it. 1 Chron. xii. 17.

   Jesus said unto them, the Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men. Matt. xvii. 22.

   For fear is nothing else but a betraying of the succours which reason offereth. Wisdom, xvii. 12.

   He was not to be won, either by promise or reward, to betray the city. Richard Knolles, History of the Turks.

   2. To discover that which has been entrusted to secrecy.3. To make known something that were better concealed.

   Be swift to hear, but be cautious of your tongue, lest you betray your ignorance. Isaac Watts, Improvement of the Mind.

   4. To make liable to fall into something inconvenient.

   His abilities created in him great confidence; and this was like enough to betray him to great errours, and many enemies. Charles I .

   The bright genius is ready to be so forward, as often betrays itself into great errours in judgment. Isaac Watts.

   5. To show; to discover; in a neutral sense.

   The Veian and the Gabian tow’rs shall fall,
   And one promiscuous ruin cover all;
   Nor, after length of years, a stone betray
   The place where once the very ruins lay. Joseph Addison, on Italy.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. betray

   Betrayal is the breaking or violation of a presumptive contract, trust, or confidence that produces moral and psychological conflict within a relationship amongst individuals, between organizations or between individuals and organizations. Often betrayal is the act of supporting a rival group, or it is a complete break from previously decided upon or presumed norms by one party from the others. Someone who betrays others is commonly called a traitor or betrayer. Betrayal is also a commonly used literary element, also used in other fiction like films and TV series, and is often associated with or used as a plot twist.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Betrayverb

   to deliver into the hands of an enemy by treachery or fraud, in violation of trust; to give up treacherously or faithlessly; as, an officer betrayed the city

2. Betrayverb

   to prove faithless or treacherous to, as to a trust or one who trusts; to be false to; to deceive; as, to betray a person or a cause

3. Betrayverb

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

4. Betrayverb

   to disclose or discover, as something which prudence would conceal; to reveal unintentionally

5. Betrayverb

   to mislead; to expose to inconvenience not foreseen to lead into error or sin

6. Betrayverb

   to lead astray, as a maiden; to seduce (as under promise of marriage) and then abandon

7. Betrayverb

   to show or to indicate; -- said of what is not obvious at first, or would otherwise be concealed

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Betray

   be-trā′, v.t. to give up treacherously: to disclose in breach of trust: to let go basely or weakly: to deceive the innocent and trustful, to seduce: to discover or show: to show signs of.—ns. Betray′al, act of betraying; Betray′er, a traitor, the seducer of a trustful girl. [Pfx. be-, and O. Fr. traïr (Fr. trahir)—L. tradĕre, to deliver up.]

Military Dictionary and GazetteerRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. betray

   To deliver perfidiously any place or body of troops into the hands of the enemy. To discover that which has been intrusted to secrecy.

Matched Categories

1. • Deceive
   • Disclose
   • Let Down

How to pronounce betray?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say betray in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of betray in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of betray in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

Examples of betray in a Sentence

1. Brene Brown:

   I define vulnerability as uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure. With that definition in mind, let’s think about love. Waking up every day and loving someone who may or may not love us back, whose safety we can’t ensure, who may stay in our lives or may leave without a moment’s notice, who may be loyal to the day they die or betray us tomorrow — that’s vulnerability.

2. Lt. Col. (Ret.) Ralph Peters, Interview in American Heritage:

   The shah always falls in the end, Saddam always turns on you, and the Saudis always betray you. If we support evil, the long-term price is almost always too high.

3. Joseph Conrad:

   They talk of a man betraying his country, his friends, his sweetheart. There must be a moral bond first. All a man can betray is his conscience.

4. Johann Kaspar Lavater:

   There are many kinds of smiles, each having a distinct character. Some announce goodness, and sweetness, others betray sarcasm, bitterness, and pride; some soften the countenance by their languishing tenderness, others brighten by their spiritual vivacity.

5. Joseph Conrad:

   All a man can betray is his conscience.

Popularity rank by frequency of use