[syn: deceive, betray, lead astray]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Betray \Be*tray"\ (b[-e]*tr[=a]"), v. t. [imp. & p. p.
Betrayed (-tr[=a]d"); p. pr. & vb. n. Betraying.] [OE.
betraien, bitraien; pref. be- + OF. tra["i]r to betray, F.
trahir, fr. L. tradere. See Traitor.]
1. 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. --Matt. xvii.
22.
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2. 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.
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But when I rise, I shall find my legs betraying me.
--Johnson.
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3. To violate the confidence of, by disclosing a secret, or
that which one is bound in honor not to make known.
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Willing to serve or betray any government for hire.
--Macaulay.
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4. To disclose or discover, as something which prudence would
conceal; to reveal unintentionally.
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Be swift to hear, but cautious of your tongue, lest
you betray your ignorance. --T. Watts.
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5. To mislead; to expose to inconvenience not foreseen to
lead into error or sin.
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Genius . . . often betrays itself into great errors.
--T. Watts.
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6. To lead astray, as a maiden; to seduce (as under promise
of marriage) and then abandon.
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7. To show or to indicate; -- said of what is not obvious at
first, or would otherwise be concealed.
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All the names in the country betray great antiquity.
--Bryant.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
betray
v 1: reveal unintentionally; "Her smile betrayed her true
feelings" [syn: betray, bewray]
2: deliver to an enemy by treachery; "Judas sold Jesus"; "The
spy betrayed his country" [syn: betray, sell]
3: 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" [syn:
fail, betray]
4: be sexually unfaithful to one's partner in marriage; "She
cheats on her husband"; "Might her husband be wandering?"
[syn: cheat on, cheat, cuckold, betray, wander]
5: give away information about somebody; "He told on his
classmate who had cheated on the exam" [syn: denounce,
tell on, betray, give away, rat, grass, shit,
shop, snitch, stag]
6: cause someone to believe an untruth; "The insurance company
deceived me when they told me they were covering my house"
[syn: deceive, betray, lead astray] [ant: undeceive]