Perfidious describes someone who is deceitful, treacherous, or untrustworthy, particularly in a way that betrays someone’s trust or loyalty. A perfidious person acts with deliberate dishonesty or betrayal, often in situations where loyalty or faithfulness is expected. The word is often used in serious or formal contexts, particularly when someone breaks a promise or trust in a particularly damaging or underhanded way. In Indonesian, perfidious can be translated as khianat or mendustai.
Synonyms:
- Deceitful
- Treacherous
- Betraying
- Disloyal
- Unfaithful
- Dishonest
- False
- Sly
- Double-crossing
- Duplicitous
- Untrustworthy
- Backstabbing
- Two-faced
- Treasonous
- Insidious
Sentences Using “Perfidious”:
- His perfidious actions caused the collapse of the entire alliance.
- The spy was considered perfidious because he betrayed his country’s secrets for personal gain.
- She was devastated to learn of her perfidious friend who had spread rumors about her.
- The perfidious politician promised reforms but secretly worked to undermine them.
- A perfidious lover will often deceive and manipulate, leading to deep emotional harm.
- The general was accused of being perfidious after betraying his comrades during the war.
- His perfidious behavior was exposed when he was caught leaking confidential information.
- The perfidious servant stole from the family after years of gaining their trust.
- She felt heartbroken by the perfidious nature of the betrayal by someone she considered a close friend.
- The perfidious plot to overthrow the government was discovered just in time to prevent disaster.
Related Words:
- Deceitful
- Treacherous
- Disloyal
- Untrustworthy
- Dishonest
- Double-crossing
- Duplicitous
- Treasonous
- Backstabbing
- Unfaithful
- False
- Sly
- Insidious
- Two-faced
- Fraudulent
Phrasal Verbs Related to “Perfidious”:
- Turn on (to betray or act perfidiously towards someone, especially after being close to them)
- Sell out (to betray a cause, person, or organization for personal gain)
- Stab in the back (to betray someone secretly and treacherously)
- Double-cross (to deceive or betray someone after making an agreement or promise)
- Break trust (to act in a perfidious manner, violating someone’s trust)
- Let down (to fail to support or betray someone’s expectations)
- Sell someone down the river (to betray someone in a particularly harmful way)
- Play dirty (to act dishonestly or treacherously)
- Throw under the bus (to betray or sacrifice someone, especially for personal gain)
- Turncoat (to betray one’s cause, loyalty, or country)
Idiomatic Expressions Related to “Perfidious”:
- A wolf in sheep’s clothing (someone who appears harmless or trustworthy but is actually perfidious or deceitful)
- Backstabber (a person who betrays others in a perfidious manner, especially behind their backs)
- Two-faced (being deceitful or hypocritical, pretending to be one thing but acting differently)
- Sell someone out (to betray or deceive someone for personal gain)
- Betray someone’s trust (to act in a perfidious way by breaking the trust of others)
- Cut the ties (to sever a relationship after betrayal or perfidy)
- Turn a blind eye (to ignore or fail to act upon a perfidious situation)
- Hit below the belt (to act in a deceitful or unfair manner, often with treachery involved)
- Stab someone in the back (to secretly betray or harm someone, often when they least expect it)
- Play both sides (to be deceitful by pretending to support more than one party or side)