perfidious
3
9.2
- adjective
- /pərˈfɪdɪəs/
- Formal
:
perfidio
- She discovered his perfidious nature when he betrayed her confidence for personal gain.
I mean, only a very foul, perfidious system gives us a choice like that.
- I mean, only a very foul, perfidious system gives us a choice like that.
Examples
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His perfidious actions led to the complete breakdown of trust among his friends.
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The perfidious plot to deceive the committee was uncovered before it could take effect.
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The fact is, though, you were way less perfidious as a drunk than you are now as a Christian.
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I pray thee, mark me... that a brother should be so perfidious!
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This is especially perfidious for your bread-winning job.
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It was all a perfidious trick to internalize control.
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Aye, the perfidious rotter led a mutiny against us.
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Such a killing is considered treacherous or perfidious and a war crime, as is reflected in the Military Commissions Act.
Academic text (2018) -
Caution: It is only a great PR piece to help unify people's disgust with this perfidious excuse for a government.
Blog text (19) -
First, it denounces the U.S. government in the harshest terms and ascribes to it motives that are perfidious.
Academic text (1999)
Synonyms
291
4.4
Willing to act dishonestly to gain money or power
128
2.5
Likely to lie or cheat to get something for yourself
89
2.9
Not loyal and betrays people who trust them
38
7.1
Likely to betray you, for example by lying or breaking promises
31
5.0
Acting in a dishonest way to make people believe something untrue
25
7.5
A person or company that is not honest and tries to take advantage of others
21
4.8
Not honest or reliable with promises
18
8.3
Acting secretly to harm people who trust them
12
5.6
Not loyal and likely to betray people who trust them
5
3.4
Not loyal to a person you trust
4
4.9
Acting in a way that betrays people who trust you
A person who is not loyal or honest and who breaks trust
Not safe to depend on because they may fail or betray you
Antonyms
How Treacherous
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Perfidious comes from Latin parts per- and fides, where fides means 'faith' or 'trust' and per- gives the idea of 'completely' or 'against'. So perfidious literally means 'completely unfaithful', which is why we call someone deceitful who betrays trust.