Meaning & use
perfidia
Last updated
UK/pəˈfɪdiə/
US/pərˈfɪdiə/
Meaning
noununcountableliteraryrare
Betrayal or unfaithfulness, especially in love; disloyalty.
Grammar: Uncountable; used mostly in literary or dramatic contexts, not in everyday speech.
Patterns
- an act of perfidia
- perfidia in love
The novel's theme is the perfidia of a trusted friend.
He could not forgive her perfidia after years of loyalty.
Common combinations
- a tale of perfidia
- The opera tells a tale of perfidia and revenge.
- perfidia in love
- The song is about perfidia in love.
- an act of perfidia
- His desertion was seen as an act of perfidia.
Synonyms and how they differ
- perfidy
- The standard English word for betrayal; perfidia is a Spanish loanword used mainly in literary or musical contexts.
- betrayal
- A general, everyday word; perfidia is more dramatic and rare.
- treachery
- Suggests harmful betrayal, often in a political or serious context; perfidia often refers to love.
Opposites
Word family
- perfidious adjective
- Literary: deceitful and untrustworthy.
- perfidy noun
- The English noun meaning betrayal.
Commonly confused: perfidia or perfidy?
perfidia vs perfidy
The English word for betrayal; perfidia is the Spanish form, used in English mainly as a literary or musical reference.
Practice
The 1939 song 'Perfidia' is about ______.
Choose one answer.
'Perfidia' means betrayal or unfaithfulness, especially in love, which is the theme of the song. The other options are unrelated to the word's meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “perfidia”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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