1
as in infidelity
lack of faithfulness especially to one's husband or wife
his wife's perfidy was a moment of uncharacteristic weakness
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in treachery
the act or fact of violating the trust or confidence of another
the full cost—both in compromised intelligence and in human life—of the double agent's perfidy is not yet known
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of perfidy
But what Neil is accused of is something well beyond cunning or perfidy or faithlessness, well beyond questionable morality.
—
Mikal Gilmore, Rolling Stone, 16 Feb. 2025
Those intrepid few who still clung to the belief that American perfidy shielded Duke’s players from true justice just had the rug pulled out from under them by Mangum herself.
—The Editors, National Review, 17 Dec. 2024
All of these glinty and high-relief performances leave the central figure seeming—despite his own foul perfidies—not exactly innocent, but without control.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2024
Jane’s fiercely unforgiving tone was adopted by militant Irish nationalists for whom the famine stood as the ultimate proof of English perfidy.
—Fintan O'Toole, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perfidy
Mikal Gilmore, Rolling Stone, 16 Feb. 2025
Those intrepid few who still clung to the belief that American perfidy shielded Duke’s players from true justice just had the rug pulled out from under them by Mangum herself.
—The Editors, National Review, 17 Dec. 2024
All of these glinty and high-relief performances leave the central figure seeming—despite his own foul perfidies—not exactly innocent, but without control.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2024
Jane’s fiercely unforgiving tone was adopted by militant Irish nationalists for whom the famine stood as the ultimate proof of English perfidy.
—Fintan O'Toole, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for perfidy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perfidy
Noun
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There have also been issues with infidelity, the source alleged.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
People.com,
30 June 2025
-
This disregard often pushes them toward infidelity, without thinking of its consequences.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
The six-parter, to debut July 14, follows six groups of friends, and six historical cases of murder and treachery among them.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
19 June 2025
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But amid the bloodbaths and treacheries, Westeros still penciled in time for a little romance — some more compelling than others (Jon and Ygritte > Jon and Daenerys).—
Tyler Aquilina,
EW.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Every look with such an irregular desire is in our Savior’s opinion a virtual adultery. . . .—
Merve Emre,
New Yorker,
16 June 2025
-
The sixth commandment in Catholic teaching prohibits adultery.—
Ruth Graham,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Noun
-
The stories are compelling, often blending sure-fire elements of true crime, psychology (primarily the surrender and loss of self, replaced with a groupthink mentality), deception, betrayal and all manner of drama.—
R. Daniel Foster,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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This represents a fundamental betrayal of the political realignment that brought working-class voters to the GOP in the first place.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
Noun
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More cunningly, this also serves to instill you with guilt: as though refusing to align with their viewpoints equates to a signal of disloyalty.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
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One video aims to appeal to senior Communist Party officials who live in perpetual fear of being snapped up by Xi’s seemingly endless crackdown on corruption and disloyalty.—
Nectar Gan,
CNN Money,
2 May 2025
Noun
-
The South committed treason against the Constitution to protect slavery.—
Zaakir Tameez
June 11,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2025
-
Lissu — who survived being shot 16 times in a 2017 assassination attempt — was arrested in April on treason charges.—
Kate Bartlett,
NPR,
7 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Perfidy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perfidy. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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