Synonym Chooser

How is the word disloyal different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of disloyal are faithless, false, perfidious, traitorous, and treacherous. While all these words mean "untrue to what should command one's fidelity or allegiance," disloyal implies a lack of complete faithfulness to a friend, cause, leader, or country.

disloyal to their country

Where would faithless be a reasonable alternative to disloyal?

The words faithless and disloyal can be used in similar contexts, but faithless applies to any failure to keep a promise or pledge or any breach of allegiance or loyalty.

faithless allies

When would false be a good substitute for disloyal?

Although the words false and disloyal have much in common, false stresses the fact of failing to be true in any manner ranging from fickleness to cold treachery.

betrayed by false friends

How are the words perfidious and faithless related as synonyms of disloyal?

Perfidious adds to faithless the implication of an incapacity for fidelity or reliability.

a perfidious double-crosser

When is it sensible to use traitorous instead of disloyal?

In some situations, the words traitorous and disloyal are roughly equivalent. However, traitorous implies either actual treason or a serious betrayal of trust.

traitorous acts punishable by death

When might treacherous be a better fit than disloyal?

The words treacherous and disloyal are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, treacherous implies readiness to betray trust or confidence.

a treacherous adviser

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of disloyal Remember Gartner’s finding that 96% of customers become disloyal after a high-effort interaction. Roger Dooley, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025 Any policy that deviates from the central government’s could be seen as politically disloyal. Vivian Wang, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025 That is part of a broader push to dismantle or remake institutions that are considered by the administration to be wasteful, disloyal or standing in the way of its objectives. Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Feb. 2025 There's always disloyal people, and every President's had them. Time Staff, TIME, 12 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for disloyal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disloyal
Adjective
  • Smith made out their former collaborators to be ungrateful and traitorous, and the kids weren't given the space to question her command.
    Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Foreign military interventions can change victims from being viewed as a nuisance into being seen as powerful and traitorous enemies, potentially capable of exacting revenge, seizing power, or breaking away from the state.
    Benjamin A. Valentino, Foreign Affairs, 17 Oct. 2011
Adjective
  • The balloons provide critical data for computer models that forecasters use to predict the weather, raising the likelihood that projections will be more unreliable.
    Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 2 May 2025
  • But times have changed, with tracking becoming more unreliable.
    Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 29 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Disloyal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disloyal. Accessed 22 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on disloyal

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