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Betray vs. Traitor — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Betray and Traitor

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Definitions

Betray

To give aid or information to an enemy of; commit treason against
Betray one's country.

Traitor

One who betrays one's country, a cause, or a trust, especially one who commits treason.

Betray

To inform upon or deliver into the hands of an enemy in violation of a trust or allegiance
"City investigators betrayed him to his bosses as a whistle-blower" (Selwyn Raab).

Traitor

Someone who violates an allegiance and betrays their country; someone guilty of treason; one who, in breach of trust, delivers their country to an enemy, or yields up any fort or place entrusted to their defense, or surrenders an army or body of troops to the enemy, unless when vanquished.

Betray

To be false or disloyal to
Betrayed a cause.
Betray one's spouse.
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Traitor

Someone who takes arms and levies war against their country; or one who aids an enemy in conquering their country.

Betray

To divulge in a breach of confidence
Betray a secret.

Traitor

(by extension) One who betrays any confidence or trust.

Betray

To make known unintentionally
Her hollow laugh betrayed her contempt for the idea.

Traitor

To act the traitor toward; to betray; to deceive.
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Betray

To lead astray; deceive
"She felt somewhat like a woman who in a moment of passion is betrayed into an act of infidelity" (Kate Chopin).

Traitor

Traitorous.

Betray

(transitive) To deliver into the hands of an enemy by treachery or fraud, in violation of trust; to give up treacherously or faithlessly.
An officer betrayed the city

Traitor

One who violates his allegiance and betrays his country; one guilty of treason; one who, in breach of trust, delivers his country to an enemy, or yields up any fort or place intrusted to his defense, or surrenders an army or body of troops to the enemy, unless when vanquished; also, one who takes arms and levies war against his country; or one who aids an enemy in conquering his country. See Treason.
O passing traitor, perjured and unjust!

Betray

(transitive) To prove faithless or treacherous to, as to a trust or one who trusts; to be false to; to deceive.
To betray a person or a cause
Quresh betrayed Sunil to marry Nuzhat.
My eyes have been betraying me since I turned sixty.

Traitor

Hence, one who betrays any confidence or trust; a betrayer.

Betray

(transitive) To violate the confidence of, by disclosing a secret, or that which one is bound in honor not to make known.

Traitor

Traitorous.

Betray

(transitive) To disclose or indicate, for example something which prudence would conceal; to reveal unintentionally.
Though he had lived in England for many years, a faint accent betrayed his Swedish origin.

Traitor

To act the traitor toward; to betray; to deceive.

Betray

(transitive) To mislead; to expose to inconvenience not foreseen; to lead into error or sin.

Traitor

Someone who betrays his country by committing treason

Betray

(transitive) To lead astray; to seduce (as under promise of marriage) and then abandon.

Traitor

A person who says one thing and does another

Betray

To deliver into the hands of an enemy by treachery or fraud, in violation of trust; to give up treacherously or faithlessly; as, an officer betrayed the city.
Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men.

Betray

To prove faithless or treacherous to, as to a trust or one who trusts; to be false to; to deceive; as, to betray a person or a cause.
But when I rise, I shall find my legs betraying me.

Betray

To violate the confidence of, by disclosing a secret, or that which one is bound in honor not to make known.
Willing to serve or betray any government for hire.

Betray

To disclose or discover, as something which prudence would conceal; to reveal unintentionally.
Be swift to hear, but cautious of your tongue, lest you betray your ignorance.

Betray

To mislead; to expose to inconvenience not foreseen to lead into error or sin.
Genius . . . often betrays itself into great errors.

Betray

To lead astray, as a maiden; to seduce (as under promise of marriage) and then abandon.

Betray

To show or to indicate; - said of what is not obvious at first, or would otherwise be concealed.
All the names in the country betray great antiquity.

Betray

Reveal unintentionally;
Her smile betrayed her true feelings

Betray

Deliver to an enemy by treachery;
Judas sold Jesus
The spy betrayed his country

Betray

Disappoint, prove undependable to; abandon, forsake;
His sense of smell failed him this time
His strength finally failed him
His children failed him in the crisis

Betray

Be sexually unfaithful to one's partner in marriage;
She cheats on her husband
Might her husband be wandering?

Betray

Give away information about somebody;
He told on his classmate who had cheated on the exam

Betray

Cause someone to believe an untruth;
The insurance company deceived me when they told me they were covering my house

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