betray

betray — verb

1. to turn against a person, group, or country that trusted you, especially by help

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to turn against a person, group, or country that trusted you, especially by helping the other side or leaving them without support.

例句

One officer betrayed the army by sending maps to the enemy.

betray + group by + -ing

Mina felt betrayed when her cousin shared the private messages.

passive: feel betrayed

同義詞
  • double-cross

    informal and often suggests a deliberate trick against someone

  • sell out

    informal and stresses acting for money or advantage

  • desert

    focuses on leaving someone without help, not always helping the other side

  • turn against

    a broader phrase for changing sides or loyalties

反義詞
  • support

    stresses standing by a person or group instead of turning against them

  • remain loyal to

    emphasizes keeping faith with the person or side you belong to

文法句型

betray + person/group/country

betray + object + by + -ing

feel betrayed

用法筆記

Object is usually a person, group, or country that placed trust in the subject. Distinguish from sense 2, where the object is something abstract such as a promise, value, or belief.

常見錯誤

❌He betrayed to his team during the match.
✅He betrayed his team during the match.
💡'betray' takes a direct object, not 'betray to'.
❌Jamal betrayed with the enemy for money.
✅Jamal betrayed her country by working with the enemy for money.
💡name the person or group harmed as the object; the action can follow with 'by'.

2. to act against a promise, someone else's trust, or your own beliefs instead of s

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

to act against a promise, someone else's trust, or your own beliefs instead of staying true to them.

例句

By taking the bribe, the judge betrayed the trust of the public.

betray the trust of + group

Nora refused the deal because it betrayed her deepest beliefs.

betray + belief

同義詞
  • break

    the broad everyday verb, especially with promise or trust

  • violate

    more formal and common with principles, rules, or agreements

  • go back on

    used especially for a promise, word, or agreement

  • abandon

    fits beliefs or principles when someone leaves them behind

反義詞
  • keep

    the normal opposite with promise or trust

  • honour

    more formal and common with promises, duties, or agreements

  • uphold

    used especially for values, standards, or principles

文法句型

betray the trust of + noun

betray + promise/value/belief

betray + object + by + -ing

用法筆記

Object is typically an abstract thing that should be kept, such as trust, a promise, a value, or a belief. Distinguish from sense 1, which is used when the object is a person, group, or country.

常見錯誤

❌She betrayed the school rule by using her phone.
✅She broke the school rule by using her phone.
💡this sense is used for promises, trust, values, or beliefs, not ordinary rules.
❌He betrayed that he would help us.
✅He broke his promise to help us.
💡this sense takes an object like 'promise' or 'trust', not a that-clause.

3. to let a secret, private fact, or hidden plan become known, either accidentally

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

to let a secret, private fact, or hidden plan become known, either accidentally or by breaking confidence.

例句

A nervous glance betrayed the surprise party before Mia opened the door.

betray + hidden plan

Tom betrayed the hiding place when he pointed at the shed.

同義詞
  • reveal

    the general neutral verb for making something known

  • disclose

    more formal and common in official or legal contexts

  • give away

    informal and often suggests showing something by mistake

  • let slip

    used especially when someone says something accidentally

反義詞
  • hide

    the everyday opposite for keeping something unknown

  • conceal

    slightly more formal and often deliberate

文法句型

betray + secret/plan

betray + object + to + listener

betray + place/information

用法筆記

Object is usually a secret, plan, hiding place, date, or other hidden fact. Distinguish from sense 4, where what becomes visible is a feeling or quality rather than information.

常見錯誤

❌She betrayed me the secret at lunch.
✅She betrayed the secret to me at lunch.
💡the secret is the direct object; the listener comes after 'to'.
❌The note betrayed about the plan.
✅The note betrayed the plan.
💡do not add 'about' when the hidden information is the object.

4. to let a feeling, thought, or personal quality become visible even though you ar

4.動詞及物B2
釋義

to let a feeling, thought, or personal quality become visible even though you are trying not to show it.

例句

Her shaking hands betrayed her fear during the job interview.

body sign + betray + feeling

A small smile betrayed how proud the coach felt.

betray how + adjective-clause

同義詞
  • show

    the broad everyday verb, but less specific about accidental display

  • reveal

    slightly stronger and can be more general than this emotional sense

  • give away

    informal and often used for signs that accidentally show the truth

  • signal

    focuses on indicating something, often through a sign or expression

反義詞
  • hide

    the common opposite for keeping feelings or qualities unseen

  • mask

    stresses deliberately covering what you feel or are like

文法句型

betray + feeling

betray how + adjective-clause

body part/voice + betray + emotion

用法筆記

The subject is often something visible or audible, such as hands, eyes, a face, a smile, or a voice. Distinguish from sense 3, which is about making information known rather than showing an emotion or quality.

常見錯誤

❌His eyes betrayed that he was tired.
✅His eyes betrayed his tiredness.
💡this sense more naturally takes a feeling or quality as the object.
❌The smile betrayed happy.
✅The smile betrayed happiness.
💡use a noun object after 'betray', not an adjective alone.