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
Despite high trade deficits, the U.S. economy is strong
Trump and his advisers point to America’s lopsided trade numbers—year after year of huge deficits—as proof of foreigners’ perfidy.
—
Time, 9 Apr. 2025
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
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
See All Example Sentences for perfidy
Time, 9 Apr. 2025
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
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
See All Example Sentences for perfidy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perfidy
Noun
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In China, a new industry has emerged devoted to helping couples stay married in the face of infidelity.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Summer Walker has addressed the infidelity accusations surrounding her ex-boyfriend Lil Meech.—
Mackenzie Cummings-Grady,
Billboard,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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And when the surviving crew interrogates the android Ash about his treachery, the book has him pretty much spill the space beans.—
Daniel Dockery,
Vulture,
22 Sep. 2025
-
When does compromise become treachery or defeat?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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As China’s economy has grown, so too has its incidence of adultery.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
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Unhappy unions loom large in the novel, which teems with adultery.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Having two fellow cohorts who are both women, who are both considered outsiders, who are both women of color, navigating a very specific set of challenges, that dynamic and the betrayal, ultimately, what happens is so tragic to me.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
22 Oct. 2025
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Pursued by brutal mercenaries and a deadly assassin, the trio must navigate twists, betrayals and historical secrets buried deep in Europe’s past.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Moreover, sometimes a leader falsely alleges a coup plot to purge members of the government suspected of disloyalty.—
John Joseph Chin,
The Conversation,
16 Oct. 2025
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Many of China’s top military officials have been purged during Xi’s third term on charges of corruption or disloyalty.—
PHILIP H. GORDON,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Directed by Oscar winner Bille August, The Count of Monte Cristo stars Claflin as Edmond Dantès, a young sailor who was falsely accused of treason and is imprisoned without trial in the Château d’If, a grim island fortress off Marseille, France.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
22 Oct. 2025
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He was later tried for treason and eventually hanged.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Perfidy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perfidy. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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