SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
treacherous
adjective
Disloyal or deceptive; also dangerously unreliable or difficult to navigate.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Disloyal or deceitful
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topTreacherous emphasizes readiness to betray trust. Deceitful can describe lying without a prior relationship of loyalty.
Dangerously unreliable
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topTreacherous conditions conceal or create danger. Slippery is one possible hazard; unreliable alone need not imply physical danger.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See treacherous in use
Rain made the narrow stone path treacherous underfoot.
A treacherous guide knowingly led his companions away from the promised meeting place while pretending to protect their interests.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license