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 But because everyone was technically disloyal during Casa Amor, there wouldn’t have been much to show. Daysia Tolentino, EW.com, 8 July 2025 To then be accused of being disloyal was a bit much. Lizzie Hyman, People.com, 3 July 2025 Once viewed as disloyal, this approach is quickly becoming the smartest hedge against a volatile economy. Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025 The restructuring comes after Trump in April fired multiple senior NSC officials flagged by right-wing activist Laura Loomer as being disloyal to Trump during a White House visit. Joey Garrison, USA Today, 25 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for disloyal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disloyal
Adjective
  • Clarisse looks intimidating climbing out of a boat, as does Bushnell’s traitorous Luke, who wields a sharp-looking knife.
    Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 24 July 2025
  • There's a delicious whodunit aspect to it, too, as the list of five potentially traitorous suspects includes the operative's own high-profile wife (Cate Blanchett).
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 July 2025
Adjective
  • But floodwater made the land unreliable to farm, and more than 15 years ago, the farm sought an easement to convert the property to wetland.
    Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2025
  • In a compact device, this heat builds up quickly and directly impacts the stability of the laser and the electronics around it, thus delivering unreliable accuracy.
    Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Disloyal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disloyal. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on disloyal

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