Basic+ Word of the Day: betray

betray (verb) past tense: betrayed

Betray means ‘to be disloyal or unfaithful.’

• The man betrayed his wife when he went out with his old girlfriend.
• The criminal betrayed his partner to avoid prosecution.

Betray also means ‘to provide secret information to an enemy.’

• The spy betrayed his country by telling the enemy about the planned invasion.

Betray also means ‘to reveal unintentionally.’

• Although Ida appeared confident, her shaking hands betrayed her.
• David acts like a man in his 20s, but his white hair betrays his age.

Related words

betrayal: the act of betraying. Example: “Fred’s betrayal was obvious when he refused to look Sara in the eye.”

In pop culture

It’s an old story. A man falls in love with his best friend’s wife. As you watch this scene for the 1983 movie Betrayal, do you recognize the leading actor?

There are other meanings of betray.