betray 
be·tray (bē trā′, bi-)
transitive verb
- to help the enemy of (one's country, cause, etc.); be a traitor to
- to deliver or expose to an enemy traitorously
- to break faith with; fail to meet the hopes of he betrayed my trust in him
- to lead astray; deceive; specif., to seduce and then desert
- to reveal unknowingly or against one's wishes his face betrays his fear
- to reveal or show signs of; indicate the house betrays its age
- to disclose (secret information, confidential plans, etc.)
Etymology: ME bitraien < be-, intens. + traien, betray < OFr trair < L tradere, to hand over: see treason
betray
v.
To deliver into the hands of an enemy
play false, break faith (with), inform on, inform against, turn in, commit treason, turn informer, delude, break one's promise, be false to, be false-hearted to, be disloyal to, go over to the enemy, trick, let down, disappoint, deceive, sell down the river*, play Judas*, give the Judas kiss to*, double-cross*, deliver up*, sell out*, stab in the back*, bite the hand that feeds one*, cross up*, turn state's evidence; see also deceive, inform 2.To lead astray
To reveal
divulge, disclose, uncover, make known; see reveal 1. See syn. study at deceive, reveal.
Object
- Judas: If Judas betrayed Jesus he broke this rule of the community also.
- ignorance: To maintain that they must intervene is to betray ignorance of the elementary principles of prophetic interpretation.
- voter: They keep governments on their toes and make sure they don't betray the trust voters have put in them.
- misunderstanding: This betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of how difficult true modernisation actually is.
- emotion: The tranquil Fogg waited, without betraying any emotion.
- revolution: In reality, Stalin betrayed the socialist revolution carried out by the Russian working class.
Subject
- friend: Additional meanings: Servants may lose the confidence of their masters; a young lady may be betrayed by a friend.
- government: They just feel betrayed by a Government that promised no tax increases at all.
- someone: So today if you're feeling badly let down or betrayed by someone, remember that you really can talk with God about it.
Preposition: into
- hand: Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Modifying Another Word
- cruelly: At this juncture, alas, he is cruelly betrayed by his wicked nephew Mordred who has usurped the throne at home.
- thereby: It sounds like someone very, very close to them, someone they trusted, leaked the photos thereby betraying them.
- eventually: His location was eventually betrayed to the authorities who raided Scotney Castle on two occasions in an attempt to capture him.
- never: I will answer for it she never betrayed the least thing in the world.
- thus: Under considerable pressure from Parliament, the King signed the Earl of Strafford's death warrant, thus betraying his key adviser.
- again: Audio ( Dolby digital mono ) is fair to good, tho once again betraying the limitations of the source.
Used with why or when
- when: Many long-term followers of the band genuinely and perhaps misguidedly felt betrayed when Cocteau Twins signed to a major label.
- what: The computer asks us to betray what meanings we have left for dessicated information.
Preposition: by
- friend: Additional meanings: Servants may lose the confidence of their masters; a young lady may be betrayed by a friend.
- government: They just feel betrayed by a Government that promised no tax increases at all.
I who have cursed The drunken officer of British rule, how choose Between this Africa and the English tongue I love? Betray them both, or give back what they give? How can I face such slaughter and be cool? How can I turn from Africa and live?
Late at e'en, drinkin'the wine, And ere they paid the lawin', They set a combat them between, To fight it at the dawin'. 'O stayat hame, my noble lord, O stay at hame, my marrow! My cruel brother will you betray On the dowie houms o' Yarrow!'
When lovely woman stoops to folly And finds too late that men betray, What charm can soothe her melancholy, What art can wash her guilt away?
Birds feed on birds, beasts on each other prey, But savage man alone does man betray.
To betray, you must first belong.
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