TREACHEROUS Synonyms: 65 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

treacherous

adjective

ˈtre-chə-rəs

Definition of treacherous next

as in traitorous

not true in one's allegiance to someone or something a treacherous "friend," she's been known to turn against people in the blink of an eye

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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 With her baby’s father behind the wheel, the couple began making their way to the hospital through treacherous conditions. —

Stephanie Gallman Jordan, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2025 California Facing treacherous winds and dangerous drones, L.A. fire pilots describe daring air drops Jan. 17, 2025 The signs from the Tubbs fire are still visible in Santa Rosa for those who know how to read them. —

Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2025 Those steep canyons were too treacherous to hike into—a broken ankle would require an air evacuation—so the crew’s assignment was to create a mile-long containment line in the peaks west of Mount Wilson Observatory. —

M. R. O’Connor, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025 With snow accumulations up to 10 inches and widespread gusty winds, travel in these regions will remain treacherous through 4 p.m. Monday. —

Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 26 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for treacherous

Recent Examples of Synonyms for treacherous

Adjective

The blame for this terrifying scenario, McCarthy declared, rested with traitorous federal employees, who had sold their country out and had to be purged from its service.

— Made by History, TIME, 9 Feb. 2025
Guinevere, usually relegated to the thankless role of traitorous wife, acts here as Arthur’s beloved confidante.

— Elizabeth Hand, Washington Post, 16 July 2024