as in traitorous
not true in one's allegiance to someone or something
a perfidious campaign worker revealed the senator's strategy to his leading rival for the nomination
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in infidelity
lack of faithfulness especially to one's husband or wife
perfidiousness eventually led to the couple's divorce
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of perfidious
New York Times, 17 Feb. 2025
Since then, Putin has sought instead to rally the public to the defense of a motherland besieged by the perfidious and cunning West.
—Leon Aron, The Atlantic, 5 Dec. 2024
And in this new era of Sino-Western rivalry, the Olympics are also used by more nationalistic elements of the Chinese media as a way to portray China in a positive light against the perfidious Americans and Europeans.
—Alexander Smith, NBC News, 11 Aug. 2024
In what might sound to many Americans like a familiar tactic, Netanyahu cast his critics and not himself as a threat to the country’s security, and sought to position himself as a victim of perfidious judges and prosecutors.
—Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for perfidious
Adjective
Jake Gyllenhaal is his foil as the perfidious Iago, who goads Othello into unreasoning jealousy with lies about his beloved Desdemona (Molly Osborne).
—New York Times, 17 Feb. 2025
Since then, Putin has sought instead to rally the public to the defense of a motherland besieged by the perfidious and cunning West.
—Leon Aron, The Atlantic, 5 Dec. 2024
And in this new era of Sino-Western rivalry, the Olympics are also used by more nationalistic elements of the Chinese media as a way to portray China in a positive light against the perfidious Americans and Europeans.
—Alexander Smith, NBC News, 11 Aug. 2024
In what might sound to many Americans like a familiar tactic, Netanyahu cast his critics and not himself as a threat to the country’s security, and sought to position himself as a victim of perfidious judges and prosecutors.
—Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for perfidious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perfidious
Adjective
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Michael Fassbender plays a British intelligence officer tasked with finding who leaked a top-secret software program and betrayed their country, and the list of five potentially traitorous suspects includes his own high-profile wife (Cate Blanchett).—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
10 May 2025
-
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
Noun
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There have also been issues with infidelity, the source alleged.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
People.com,
30 June 2025
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This disregard often pushes them toward infidelity, without thinking of its consequences.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
Adjective
-
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration report said that driver also made a false report related to hours of service.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 July 2025
-
His claims are false and do not reflect accountability for the impact of his actions on the community.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
3 July 2025
Noun
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After Swaggart accused Gorman of adultery, Gorman hired a private investigator who followed Swaggart and took the photographs in New Orleans that ignited the scandal.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
1 July 2025
-
Every look with such an irregular desire is in our Savior’s opinion a virtual adultery. . . .—
Merve Emre,
New Yorker,
16 June 2025
Noun
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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
-
In an impassioned evening speech, Tillis shared his views arguing the Senate approach is a betrayal of Trump’s promise not to kick people off health care.—
Glen Luke Flanagan,
Fortune,
30 June 2025
Noun
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Their perfidy is memorialized in the English language, though.—
Evan Osnos,
New Yorker,
26 May 2025
-
The prior month, Vice President JD Vance had lodged his own complaints about Europe’s alleged perfidy, threatening that the United States might withdraw its security guarantees from Europe if the EU continued to aggressively regulate U.S. tech companies.—
ANU BRADFORD,
Foreign Affairs,
21 Apr. 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
Cite this Entry
“Perfidious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perfidious. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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