traitor
English · Thesaurus
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traitor
- /ˈtɹeɪ.tə(ɹ)/ UK
- [t̠ʰɹʷeɪ̯.tʰə(ɹ)] UK
- [ˈt͡ʃʰɹʷeɪ̯-] UK
- [t̠͡ɹ̠̊˔ʷeɪ̯-] UK
- /ˈtɹeɪ.tɚ/ US
- [t̠ʰɹʷeɪ̯.ɾɚ] US
- [ˈt͡ʃʰɹʷeɪ̯-] US
- [t̠͡ɹ̠̊˔ʷeɪ̯-] US
Sounds like trader (in dialects with flapping) · Rhymes with -eɪtə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
From Middle English traitor, traitour, traytour, from Old French traïtor (French traître), from Latin trāditor. Displaced native Middle English swike from Old English swica (“traitor”), and Middle English proditour and traditour borrowed directly from Latin. The general Old English word denoting "traitor" was lǣwa or lǣwend. Doublet of traditor and treason.
noun traitors · traitour
- 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. After World War I, the communists and Jews were accused to be traitors by the German right wing (the "stab-in-the-back myth"), ultimately culminating in their persecution and massacre.
-
Someone who takes arms and levies war against their country; or one who aids an enemy in conquering their country.
Similar: turncoat, withersake, apostate, balimbing, butterfly, changeling, defector, runagate, traitor, transfuge, turncloak, turntippet
-
One who betrays any confidence or trust.
It's second nature now to think myself a traitor
To myself, to all I've ever burdened with my rotting visage
I can't breathe, the weight of all I've disappointed crushes me
If I were happy, it would feel as if I couldn't trust me
Similar: betrayer, fink, snake, snake in the grass, backstabber, cockatrice, double-crosser, quisling, rat, ratter, recreant, renegade
Similar: Benedict Arnold, quisling, Judas
verb traitors · traitoring · traitored · traitour
- To act the traitor toward; to betray; to deceive.
adjective more traitor · most traitor · traitour
- Traitorous. to find a subject staid and wise Already half turn'd traitor by surprise
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: treasonist, double-crosser, betrayer, double-dealer, treason, traitorous, betrayal, proditor, treacherous, treachery, backstabber, snitch, cheater, informer, villain, insider
noun
Similar: Benedict Arnold, quisling, Judas
Translations
Every language
noun one who betrays; a betrayer
| Español | traidor, traidora, serpiente, proditor (disused) |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 배반자 baebanja, 매국노 maegungno, 국적 gukjeok, 배신자 baesinja |
| 日本語 | 売国奴 baikokudo, 非国民 hikokumin, 国賊 kokuzoku, 反逆者 hangyakusha, 裏切り者 uragirimono, 逆賊 gyakuzoku |
| 中文 | 叛徒 pàntú, 賣國賊 /卖国贼 màiguózéi, 背叛者 bèipànzhě, 國賊 /国贼 guózéi, 逆賊 /逆贼 nìzéi, 漢奸 hànjiān |
| हिन्दी | ग़द्दार ġaddār, द्रोही drohī, विद्रोही vidrohī, देशद्रोही deśadrohī |
| Português | traidor, traidora |
| Français | traître, traîtresse |
| Deutsch | Verräter, Verräterin |
| Italiano | traditore, traditrice, voltagabbana, banderuola, giravolta, proditore |
| Ελληνικά | προδότης prodótis, δοσίλογος dosílogos |
| Română | trădător, trădătoare |
| Русский | преда́тель predátelʹ, преда́тельница predátelʹnica, изме́нник izménnik, изме́нница izménnica |
| Tiếng Việt | kẻ phản bội |
| العربية | خَائِن ḵāʔin, خَائِنَة ḵāʔina, غَدَّار ḡaddār, غَدَّارَة ḡaddāra |
| עברית | בּוֹגֵד bogéd |
adj traitorous
| Español | traidor, kalé |
|---|---|
| Português | traidor |
| Français | traître |
| Ελληνικά | προδοτικός prodotikós |
Talk about this word "traitor." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/traitor. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. traitor. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/traitor "traitor." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/traitor.Cite this
@misc{traitor_2026,
title = {traitor},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/traitor},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
