treacherous

adjective

treach·er·ous | \ ˈtre-chə-rəs

, ˈtrech-rəs\

Definition of treacherous

1a : likely to betray trust : unreliable a treacherous memory

b : providing insecure footing or support treacherous quicksand

c : marked by hidden dangers, hazards, or perils

2 : characterized by or manifesting treachery : perfidious

Other Words from treacherous Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about treacherous

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Choose the Right Synonym for treacherous

faithless, false, disloyal, traitorous, treacherous, perfidious mean untrue to what should command one's fidelity or allegiance. faithless applies to any failure to keep a promise or pledge or any breach of allegiance or loyalty. faithless allies false stresses the fact of failing to be true in any manner ranging from fickleness to cold treachery. betrayed by false friends disloyal implies a lack of complete faithfulness to a friend, cause, leader, or country. disloyal to their country traitorous implies either actual treason or a serious betrayal of trust. traitorous acts punishable by death treacherous implies readiness to betray trust or confidence. a treacherous adviser perfidious adds to faithless the implication of an incapacity for fidelity or reliability. a perfidious double-crosser

Examples of treacherous in a Sentence

a treacherous act of betrayal They were not prepared to hike over such treacherous terrain. The snow made their hike all the more treacherous. Discussions about money can lead couples into treacherous territory.

Recent Examples on the Web

The area is known to have some of the most treacherous waters in the world, but waves like this don’t happen every winter. — Angela Fritz, Washington Post, "60-foot waves came crashing toward the Oregon shore Thursday," 19 Jan. 2018 Climate change has made each fire season more treacherous, and there is no reasonable method of prevention short of plowing the forest into the dirt. — WSJ, "Will California Fires Promote Better Policy?," 16 Nov. 2018 The snow was projected to turn into sleet and freezing rain by midday, adding to already treacherous driving conditions. ... — Sarah Chaney, WSJ, "Winter Storm Disrupts Travel and Work in Washington, D.C.," 20 Feb. 2019 Layla’s mother was terrified for her daughter’s life, and knew that the treacherous journey to the United States was safer than having Layla remain with her abusive relatives. — Lauren Blodgett, Glamour, "I Represent Migrant Children in Immigration Court. This Is What It's Like.," 26 July 2018 What’s your favorite part of taking a motorcycle trip through such an extreme and treacherous environment? — Sam Blum, Popular Mechanics, "This Man Is Riding a Motorcycle Across Siberia to the Coldest Inhabited Place on Earth. But Why?," 29 Jan. 2019 But these days, the sampietrini have proved treacherous for the city’s many scooters, slippery for dress shoes and murder for stilettos. — Jason Horowitz, New York Times, "All Roads Lead to Rome, Where Potholes Will Destroy Your Tires," 25 Mar. 2018 Search efforts were extremely slow because of the treacherous sea of reddish-brown mud that surged out when the mine tailings dam breached Friday afternoon. — Peter Prengaman, The Seattle Times, "Searchers probe deep mud from Brazil dam breach; 65 dead," 29 Jan. 2019 Set roughly around the start of the 19th century, this expansive historical saga chronicles the rise and fall of the city of Waw, a commercial hub to rival Timbuktu built on the treacherous caravan route in the empty heart of the desert. — Sam Sacks, WSJ, "Fiction: Heaven Is Not at All What You Think," 25 Jan. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'treacherous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.