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
  • Decades later, the first couple of rock and roll briefly split in 2016 after rumors of infidelity, but reconciled shortly thereafter.
    — Grace Gavilanes, PEOPLE, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Gripped by a paralyzing fear for the fate of her future children, Naama returns to the same monument where the infidelity took place; there, her parents appear before her.
    — Katie Campione, Deadline, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of infidelity
Noun
  • For his treachery in conspiring with Gwayne, Daemon claims Corlys as his own prisoner.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Guides spoke of the monthlong siege that ended only because of the treachery of a local noble who turned on the sultan and allowed British troops to scale the walls.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 2 July 2026
Definition of treachery
Noun
  • Leontes, the king of Sicilia, has baselessly accused his wife, Hermione, of adultery, and the consequences have been dire.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Her adultery story initially evokes the imprisoned girl’s compensatory reveries, but over time its focus shifts.
    — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of adultery
Noun
  • Finishing in 32nd place and nabbing the highest draft lottery odds still matter — even if the persistent betrayal of the NHL’s draft lottery balls remains an open wound in this market.
    — Thomas Drance, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • But that means in his own mind the abandonment and betrayal of his sense of identity as a tennis player who never gives up, who has staged so many comebacks.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of betrayal
Noun
  • The very quality that makes Oman useful—the ability to talk to everyone—can look like disloyalty.
    — Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 21 Aug. 2026
  • And still, some people insist that admitting the flaws in our history — and our present — constitutes an act of innate disloyalty.
    — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 June 2026
Definition of disloyalty
Noun
  • Turn on any cable news network, and the national political landscape can look like a toxic wasteland, defined by vitriol, outrage, even allegations of treason.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The messenger, French emigré Charles Darnay (Civil) is arrested for treason.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 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 28 Aug. 2026.

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