betrayed

[ bih-treyd ]

adjective

1. delivered or exposed to an enemy by treachery or disloyalty:

   After being double-crossed by one of his own, the betrayed agent sought retribution against the intelligence service.

2. not guarded, maintained, or fulfilled faithfully:

   The political history of that nation is a painful one, full of betrayed promises and almost continuous war.

3. having one’s hopes or expectations disappointed, especially through abandonment or unfaithfulness:

   For a betrayed spouse, the affair can be the most devastating experience of a lifetime.

4. revealed or disclosed in violation of confidence:

   In the underground economy, a betrayed secret is lethal to any operation.

5. deceived, misguided, or seduced:

   I’m expecting a thunderous reaction from the betrayed public as the disastrous effects of these policies strike them personally.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of betray.

Other Words From

• un·be·trayed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of betrayed¹

First recorded in 1605–15; betray ( def ) + -ed ²( def ) for the adjective senses; betray ( def ) + -ed ¹( def ) for the verb sense

Example Sentences

Like any other would-be autocrat, President-elect Donald Trump is selecting people for key positions overseeing the military and legal system based not on objective merits but their personal loyalty to one man: in this case, a 78-year-old Republican who felt betrayed in his first term when more-or-less qualified cabinet officials would balk at some of his more extreme demands.

From Salon

The chancellor fired Lindner, saying he had "betrayed my confidence" and put the interests of his party over those of the country.

From BBC

Both major political parties had betrayed us – Democrats by pushing aside Bernie Sanders’ critique of neoliberalism, and, now, neoliberals in the Democratic Party and the high-end press by learning nothing from ejecting Joe Biden, who understands viscerally what Glass Steagall represented and who has proved quite capable and effective as a substantively progressive decision maker, despite his bad calls in the Middle East.

From Salon

“Once again, my community had been betrayed by our leadership,” she said — a reference to the parade of District 14 council members who have brought scandal to the Eastside over the decades.

From Los Angeles Times

Scholz said his former finance minister had "betrayed my confidence" and had put the interests of his party base over those of the country.

From BBC

Related Words

• misled
• tricked