betrayer
Snake among friends
A betrayer is someone who breaks faith with another—violating trust, loyalty, or confidence.
The word carries moral weight: a betrayer isn't merely disloyal but has actively harmed someone who trusted them.
Judas is history's most famous betrayer.
The term applies to personal relationships, political alliances, or any situation where trust is weaponized against the one who gave it.
One who betrays allegiance
- double-crosserOne who deceives confederates
- backstabberDisloyal pretend ally
- renegadeDeserter of a cause
- defectorOne who abandons allegiance
quisling · fifth columnist · informant · collaborator · spy · saboteur · double-dealer · rat
One who revolts
- mutineerSailor who revolts
- seditionistAgitator against state authority
- subversiveSeeking to undermine authority
- dissidentOpposer of established systems
revolutionary · insurrectionist · deserter · defector · resistance fighter · partisan · guerrilla · oath-breaker
Faker claiming false expertise
- impostorOne feigning another's identity
- fraudsterCriminal deceiver for gain
- swindlerPerson who deceives for money
- con artistProfessional fraud perpetrator
cheat · faker · hoaxer · phony · schemer · scammer · trickster · manipulator
Unfaithful married person
- cheaterOne who acts dishonestly
- two-timerOne conducting parallel romances
- philandererHabitual romantic cheater
- faithlessUntrustworthy, lacking loyalty
disloyal · cuckolder · love rat · affair · mistress · paramour · inconstant · fickle
The one who betrayed
- apostleMessenger for a cause
- discipleCommitted follower of teaching
- GethsemaneBiblical betrayal garden
- thirty pieces of silverBiblical betrayal payment
kiss · Christ · Jesus · Last Supper · Gospel · crucifixion · Passion · Christianity
turncoat
One who betrays allegiance
- double-crosserOne who deceives confederates
- backstabberDisloyal pretend ally
- renegadeDeserter of a cause
defector · quisling · fifth columnist · informant · collaborator · spy · saboteur · double-dealer · rat · snake
insurgent
One who revolts
- mutineerSailor who revolts
- seditionistAgitator against state authority
- subversiveSeeking to undermine authority
dissident · revolutionary · insurrectionist · deserter · defector · resistance fighter · partisan · guerrilla · oath-breaker · turncloak
charlatan
Faker claiming false expertise
- impostorOne feigning another's identity
- fraudsterCriminal deceiver for gain
- swindlerPerson who deceives for money
con artist · cheat · faker · hoaxer · phony · schemer · scammer · trickster · manipulator · pretender
adulterer
Unfaithful married person
- cheaterOne who acts dishonestly
- two-timerOne conducting parallel romances
- philandererHabitual romantic cheater
faithless · disloyal · cuckolder · love rat · affair · mistress · paramour · inconstant · fickle · lothario
Iscariot
The one who betrayed
- apostleMessenger for a cause
- discipleCommitted follower of teaching
- GethsemaneBiblical betrayal garden
thirty pieces of silver · kiss · Christ · Jesus · Last Supper · Gospel · crucifixion · Passion · Christianity · Biblical
- femme fatalesfemme fatale, seductress, temptress, vixen, enchantress
- sinnerssinner, transgressor, evildoer, wrongdoer, blasphemer
- betrayalbackstab, backstabber, double-cross, treachery, disloyalty
- deceiversliar, liars, deceiver, fraud, fake
- Traitorsturncoat, Judas, Benedict Arnold, defector, double agent
- renegadesrenegade, rebel, turncoat, defector, deserter
betrayerloyalist
Faithful supporter of authority
true friend · confidant · keeper of secrets · devoted follower · faithful servant
- betrayal of trustBreaking promised loyalty
- family betrayalDisloyalty among kin
- love and betrayalDevotion paired with its violation
- betrayal traumaDistress when depended-upon harms
- betrayal arcStory of broken loyalty
- betrayal storyStory featuring disloyalty
betray, betrayal, betrayed, betrays, betraying, betrayals, betrayers