Betray

• POS: Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: be=tray

CIDE DICTIONARY

Betray, v. t. [OE. betraien, bitraien; pref. be- + OF. traïr to betray, F. trahir, fr. L. tradere. See Traitor.].

•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  "Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men."  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  "But when I rise, I shall find my legs betraying me."  [1913 Webster]
•  To violate the confidence of, by disclosing a secret, or that which one is bound in honor not to make known.  [1913 Webster]

  "Willing to serve or betray any government for hire."  [1913 Webster]
•  To disclose or discover, as something which prudence would conceal; to reveal unintentionally.  [1913 Webster]

  "Be swift to hear, but cautious of your tongue, lest you betray your ignorance."  [1913 Webster]
•  To mislead; to expose to inconvenience not foreseen to lead into error or sin.  [1913 Webster]

  "Genius . . . often betrays itself into great errors."  [1913 Webster]
•  To lead astray, as a maiden; to seduce (as under promise of marriage) and then abandon.  [1913 Webster]
•  To show or to indicate; -- said of what is not obvious at first, or would otherwise be concealed.  [1913 Webster]

  "All the names in the country betray great antiquity."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Betray, v.tr.
1 place (a person, one's country, etc.) in the hands or power of an enemy.
2 be disloyal to (another person, a person's trust, etc.).
3 reveal involuntarily or treacherously; be evidence of (his shaking hand betrayed his fear).
4 lead astray or into error.

Derivative

betrayal n. betrayer n.

Etymology

ME f. obs. tray, ult. f. L tradere hand over

THESAURUS

Betray

abuse, apostatize, babble, bamboozle, be indiscreet, be unguarded, bear witness against, beguile, betoken, betray a confidence, blab, blabber, blow the whistle, bluff, blurt, blurt out, bolt, break away, break faith, cajole, cheat on, circumvent, collaborate, conjure, cross, debauch, deceive, defect, defile, deflower, delude, demonstrate, desert, despoil, diddle, disclose, discover, divulge, double-cross, dupe, ensnare, entrap, evidence, evince, expose, fail, fink, fool, force, forestall, gammon, get around, give away, gull, hoax, hocus-pocus, hoodwink, hornswaggle, humbug, impart, indicate, inform, inform against, inform on, juggle, lay bare, lead astray, leak, let down, let drop, let fall, let slip, manifest, misguide, mislead, mock, narc, outmaneuver, outreach, outsmart, outwit, overreach, peach, pigeon, play one false, pull out, put something over, rape, rat, ravage, ravish, renegade, reveal, reveal a secret, ruin, run out on, secede, seduce, sell, sell out, shop, show, sing, snare, snitch, snitch on, snow, soil, spill, spill the beans, split, squeal, stool, string along, sully, take in, talk, tattle, tattle on, tell, tell on, tell secrets, tell tales, testify against, trap, trick, turn in, turn informer, two-time, uncover, unveil, violate

ROGET THESAURUS

Betray

Improbity

VB be dishonest, play false, break one's word, break one's faith, break one's promise, jilt, betray, forswear, shuffle, live by one's wits, sail near the wind, disgrace oneself, dishonor oneself, demean oneself, derogate, stoop, grovel, sneak, lose caste, sell oneself, go over to the enemy, seal one's infamy.

Disclosure

VB disclose, discover, dismask, draw the veil, draw aside the veil, lift the veil, raise the veil, lift up the veil, remove the veil, tear aside the veil, tear the curtain, unmask, unveil, unfold, uncover, unseal, unkennel, take off the seal, break the seal, lay open, lay bare, expose, open, open up, bare, bring to light, divulge, reveal, break, squeal, tattle, sing, rat, snitch, let into the secret, reveal the secrets of the prison house, tell, breathe, utter, blab, peach, let out, let fall, let drop, let slip, spill the beans, let the cat out of the bag, betray, tell tales, come out of school, come out with, give vent, give utterance to, open the lips, blurt out, vent, whisper about, speak out, make public, unriddle, split, acknowledge, allow, concede, grant, admit, own, own up to, confess, avow, throw off all disguise, turn inside out, make a clean breast, show one's hand, show one's cards, unburden one's mind, disburden one's mind, disburden one's conscience, disburden one's heart, open one's mind, lay bare one's mind, tell a piece of one's mind, unbosom oneself, own to the soft impeachment, say the truth, speak the truth, turn King's evidence, Queen's evidence, acknowledge the corn, raise the mask, drop the mask, lift the mask, remove the mask, throw off the mask, expose, lay open, undeceive, unbeguile, disabuse, set right, correct, open the eyes of, d_esillusionner, be disclosed, transpire, come to light, come in sight, become known, escape the lips, come out, ooze out, creep out, leak out, peep out, crop-out, show its face, show its colors, discover itself, break through the clouds, flash on the mind.

Deception

VB deceive, take in, defraud, cheat, jockey, do, cozen, diddle, nab, chouse, play one false, bilk, cully, jilt, bite, pluck, swindle, victimize, abuse, mystify, blind one's eyes, blindfold, hoodwink, throw dust into the eyes, dupe, gull, hoax, fool, befool, bamboozle, flimflam, hornswoggle, trick, impose upon, practice upon, play upon, put upon, palm off on, palm upon, foist upon, snatch a verdict, bluff off, bluff, bunko, four flush, gum, spoof, stuff (a ballot box), circumvent, overreach, outreach, out wit, out maneuver, steal a march upon, give the go-by, to leave in the lurch decoy, waylay, lure, beguile, delude, inveigle, entrap, intrap, ensnare, nick, springe, set a trap, lay a trap, lay a snare for, bait the hook, forelay, spread the toils, lime, trapan, trepan, kidnap, let in, hook in, nousle, nousel, blind a trail, enmesh, immesh, shanghai, catch, catch in a trap, sniggle, entangle, illaqueate, hocus, escamoter, practice on one's credulity, hum, humbug, gammon, stuff up, sell, play a trick upon one, play a practical joke upon one, put something over on one, put one over on, balk, trip up, throw a tub to a whale, fool to the top of one's bent, send on a fool's errand, make game, make a fool of, make an April fool of, make an ass of, trifle with, cajole, flatter, come over, gild the pill, make things pleasant, divert, put a good face upon, dissemble, cog, cog the dice, load the dice, stack the deck, live by one's wits, play at hide and seek, obtain money under false pretenses, conjure, juggle, practice chicanery, deacon, play off, palm off, foist off, fob-off, lie, misinform, mislead, betray, be deceived.