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
Relevance
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
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
All of these glinty and high-relief performances leave the central figure seeming—despite his own foul perfidies—not exactly innocent, but without control.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2024
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
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
The Editors, National Review, 17 Dec. 2024
All of these glinty and high-relief performances leave the central figure seeming—despite his own foul perfidies—not exactly innocent, but without control.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2024
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
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
-
Honey is typically in the business of infidelity, taking cases involving suspicious spouses and their philandering partners.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
HollywoodReporter,
23 May 2025
-
The entrepreneur and wellness coach addressed rumors of infidelity while responding directly to a fan’s accusation on Instagram.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
23 May 2025
Noun
-
Press play below to learn more about Wells’ treachery, and to get a sneak peek at the fugitive interacting with her latest target.—
Matt Webb Mitovich,
TVLine,
7 Apr. 2025
-
Sinners is one of the great vampire movies of the modern age, mining the legend of these perpetual outsiders who desperately yearn to belong, but whose silky promises are rooted in treachery.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
In the court of public opinion, any credible allegation of drug use, adultery or moral misstep is typically perceived as career-ending.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
21 May 2025
-
Mlotek’s title presumably comes from no-fault divorce laws, which did away with the idea that divorce required proof of wrongdoing, such as abuse or adultery.—
Hannah Jocelyn,
New Yorker,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
One professor challenged that reasoning, which Casas repeated during the panel on Wednesday, telling the police chief that for students with fragile immigration statuses, being detained by university police would feel like a betrayal.—
Garrett Shanley,
Miami Herald,
23 May 2025
-
In the aftermath, Mahnaz will be forced to confront betrayal and loss, and to embark on a quest for justice.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
22 May 2025
Noun
-
That's telling about the culture that was created in which questioning or stress-testing created suspicions of disloyalty.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
20 May 2025
-
In April, the president fired the head of the NSA after the conspiracist Laura Loomer accused him of disloyalty; in early May, the administration announced plans to cut more than a thousand jobs at the CIA and other spy agencies.—
James Santel,
The Atlantic,
8 May 2025
Noun
-
Lee’s campaign has asserted that a sitting president cannot be criminally prosecuted, except in cases of treason.—
Jong Eun Lee,
The Conversation,
29 May 2025
-
The cost of failure would have been death on the grounds of treason.—
Daniel Twining,
National Review,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Perfidy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perfidy. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share