Synonym Chooser

How is the word treacherous different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of treacherous are disloyal, faithless, false, perfidious, and traitorous. While all these words mean "untrue to what should command one's fidelity or allegiance," treacherous implies readiness to betray trust or confidence.

a treacherous adviser

When can disloyal be used instead of treacherous?

Although the words disloyal and treacherous have much in common, disloyal implies a lack of complete faithfulness to a friend, cause, leader, or country.

disloyal to their country

When could faithless be used to replace treacherous?

While in some cases nearly identical to treacherous, faithless applies to any failure to keep a promise or pledge or any breach of allegiance or loyalty.

faithless allies

Where would false be a reasonable alternative to treacherous?

The words false and treacherous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, false stresses the fact of failing to be true in any manner ranging from fickleness to cold treachery.

betrayed by false friends

How do perfidious and faithless relate to one another, in the sense of treacherous?

Perfidious adds to faithless the implication of an incapacity for fidelity or reliability.

a perfidious double-crosser

When is traitorous a more appropriate choice than treacherous?

The synonyms traitorous and treacherous are sometimes interchangeable, but traitorous implies either actual treason or a serious betrayal of trust.

traitorous acts punishable by death

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 treacherous Earlier, the company stressed that the rugged Oshkosh Defense Palletized Load System (PLS) M1075A1 excels in extreme conditions, efficiently distributing supplies and equipment in treacherous environments using demountable flat rack cargo beds or ISO containers. Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2025 First by shadowing a refugee smuggler and some refugees preparing to trek through the treacherous Darién Gap rainforest. Randy Myers, Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2025 Under an imperial decree, her captors become unlikely allies, guiding Jewish refugees through ambushes, shifting alliances and treacherous waters, while Sara confronts leadership, loyalty and love at a high cost. Ben Croll, Variety, 29 Sep. 2025 In the cataclysmic civil war at Kuru-kshetra, both the divine Pandava brothers and their treacherous cousins, the Kauravas, end up breaking the rules of war to achieve victory at any cost. Seamus Sullivan september 29, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for treacherous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for treacherous
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
  • The casting of Goth in dual roles as both Victor’s mother and Elizabeth further contributes to the unreliable narration.
    Clayton Davis, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Perhaps most importantly for Beijing, the overuse of export restrictions could reinforce perceptions of China as an unreliable supplier, undermining Beijing’s efforts to position itself as a force for stability in the global economy.
    Lizzi C. Lee, Time, 17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, Tesla is still fighting a false advertising lawsuit from California's DMV.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2025
  • And that’s really false advertising.
    Alex Crippen, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Treacherous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/treacherous. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

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