Meaning & use
betraying someone
Last updated
Meanings
phrasephrasal verb
doing something that breaks a person's trust or harms them while they believe you are loyal
Grammar: The object usually comes after 'betraying': 'betraying someone'. In a full sentence, use 'betray someone' or 'betray someone's trust'.
Patterns
- betraying someone
- betraying someone's trust
- betraying a friend
She felt that betraying someone who trusted her was the worst thing she could do.
He was accused of betraying his colleagues by sharing their secret plans.
Betraying a friend can destroy a relationship forever.
phrasephrasal verb
revealing information or feelings that someone wanted to keep hidden
Grammar: Often used with 'by' to say how the betrayal happened: 'betraying someone by doing something'.
Patterns
- betraying someone by doing something
- betraying a secret
She avoided betraying someone by keeping the secret to herself.
By betraying his friend's location, he put everyone in danger.
He worried that his face was betraying his true feelings.
Common combinations
- betray someone's trust
- He betrayed her trust when he read her private messages.
- betray a friend
- She would never betray a friend, even for money.
- betray a secret
- He betrayed the secret by accident.
- feel betrayed
- After the meeting, she felt betrayed by her own team.
Synonyms and how they differ
- backstab
- More informal and dramatic; it suggests a secret, sneaky attack on someone who trusts you.
- double-cross
- Often used for cheating or tricking someone in a plan, especially in business or crime stories.
- let down
- Weaker and can be accidental; it means disappointing someone rather than deliberately harming them.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: betraying someone or betroth?
betraying someone vs betroth
Sounds similar but means to promise someone in marriage, not to break trust.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'betraying someone' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Betray' takes a direct object, so 'betraying someone' is correct. The other options add unnecessary prepositions that do not fit the verb's pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “betraying someone”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.