perfidy

noun

ˈpər-fə-dē How to pronounce perfidy (audio)
Definition of perfidynext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 perfidy More recently, an al Qaeda operative and suspected mastermind behind the 2000 USS Cole bombing — in which suicide bombers sidled up alongside a US warship, waved to the sailors and then detonated explosives — was charged with perfidy, among other crimes. — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026 The report has raised concerns of perfidy, an act of deception by military forces. — Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 13 Jan. 2026 Ever since, the president and his closest allies haven’t stopped trying to repackage the perfidy as patriotism. — Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 27 Nov. 2025 The ignorance, the hubris, the lies, the perfidy. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for perfidy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perfidy
  1. infidelity
  2. treachery
  3. adultery
  4. betrayal
  5. disloyalty
  6. treason
Noun
  • These can range from infidelity and intimidation to aggression and extreme violence.
    — David DeMatteo, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Paxton has faced scrutiny during the campaign for his accumulation of wealth, his past legal troubles, allegations of infidelity, dealings in the attorney general’s office and his 2023 impeachment.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of infidelity
Noun
  • The killings and his six-week trial in 2023 captivated the true crime world with a mix of treachery, corruption, money, power and Southern accents.
    — Jeffrey Collins, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The killings of Murdaugh’s wife and son and his subsequent six-week trial captivated the true crime world with a mix of treachery, corruption, money, power and Southern accents.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of treachery
Noun
  • The idea shows up in mythology—from Zeus transforming into every kind of animal to commit adultery to Psyche being warned that her new husband, Eros, would be grotesque—as well as in folklore and countless retellings of Beauty and the Beast.
    — Janelle Okwodu, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Specifically, Pickard said his understanding of the immunity deal is that his testimony about adultery and an inappropriate relationship cannot be used against him as part of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
    — Matt Schooley, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of adultery
Noun
  • The boldest declarations of solidarity, Lee knows, often precede the quietest and cruellest of betrayals.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Secretly draining shared savings or hiding major debt are obvious betrayals.
    — Jenna Ryu, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of betrayal
Noun
  • There’s a sense that doubt would be a form of disloyalty to what came before you, or that admitting a weakness undermines the confidence of the people around you.
    — Flavio Maluf, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • During the government’s response to protests in 2014, Maduro instructed officials to increase the intensity of interrogations involving military personnel suspected of disloyalty, prosecutors say.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of disloyalty
Noun
  • The deaths of two CIA agents and two Mexican officers in an April crash after a drug-lab raid have triggered a rare federal treason case against Chihuahua’s former top prosecutor.
    — María Verza, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Mexico has not successfully brought to trial a charge of treason in decades despite a recent attempt.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of treason

Browse Nearby Words

perfidiousness
perfidy
perforate
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Cite this Entry

“Perfidy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perfidy. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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