faithlessness
Absence of devotion
Faithlessness is the quality of being unfaithful or disloyal—a betrayal of trust or commitment.
It applies to broken promises, abandoned allegiances, or romantic infidelity: His faithlessness destroyed the marriage.
The word can also describe lack of religious faith, though this sense is less common.
Faithlessness suggests not just absence of loyalty but active violation of it.
Deliberate violation of trust
- disloyaltyBreach of allegiance
- perfidyDeliberate breach of trust
- backstabbingCovert betrayal of trust
- double-crossTreacherous deception of partner
treason · defection · sellout · breach · sabotage · turncoat · renegade · forsake
Lack of steadiness
- capriciousnessErratic, unpredictable behavior
- changeabilityTendency to alter frequently
- volatilityRapid, unpredictable changeability
- mercurialProne to sudden change
unreliability · wavering · vacillation · irresolution · flightiness · unsteadiness · unpredictability · inconsistency
Married person's sexual betrayal
- cheatingDeceptive rule-breaking
- extramaritalOutside the marriage bond
- affairRomantic entanglement outside commitment
- philanderingCasual extramarital affairs
two-timing · cuckoldry · straying · liaison · tryst · fling · deceit · untrue
Sense of unease about motives
- doubtLack of firm belief
- skepticismDisposition toward doubt
- warinessCautious distrust
- cynicismDistrust of human sincerity
mistrust · misgiving · incredulity · uncertainty · questioning · disbelief · leery · dubiousness
Belief opposing official doctrine
- renunciationFormal surrender of claim
- abjurationSworn repudiation of allegiance
- recantationFormal withdrawal of statement
- conversionAct of changing states
apostate · disaffection · estrangement · dereliction · lapsed · backsliding · desertion · schism
treachery
Deliberate violation of trust
- disloyaltyBreach of allegiance
- perfidyDeliberate breach of trust
- backstabbingCovert betrayal of trust
double-cross · treason · defection · sellout · breach · sabotage · turncoat · renegade · forsake · abandonment
inconstancy
Lack of steadiness
- capriciousnessErratic, unpredictable behavior
- changeabilityTendency to alter frequently
- volatilityRapid, unpredictable changeability
mercurial · unreliability · wavering · vacillation · irresolution · flightiness · unsteadiness · unpredictability · inconsistency · whimsical
adultery
Married person's sexual betrayal
- cheatingDeceptive rule-breaking
- extramaritalOutside the marriage bond
- affairRomantic entanglement outside commitment
philandering · two-timing · cuckoldry · straying · liaison · tryst · fling · deceit · untrue · dalliance
suspicion
Sense of unease about motives
- doubtLack of firm belief
- skepticismDisposition toward doubt
- warinessCautious distrust
cynicism · mistrust · misgiving · incredulity · uncertainty · questioning · disbelief · leery · dubiousness · apprehension
heresy
Belief opposing official doctrine
- renunciationFormal surrender of claim
- abjurationSworn repudiation of allegiance
- recantationFormal withdrawal of statement
conversion · apostate · disaffection · estrangement · dereliction · lapsed · backsliding · desertion · schism · blasphemy
- betrayalbackstab, betray, betrayal, traitor, backstabber
- distrustmistrust, suspicion, doubt, wariness, skepticism
- impietyungodliness, unholiness, irreverence, sacrilege, blasphemy
- religious strugglesdoubt, backsliding, temptation, trials, tribulation
- nonbeliefatheism, agnosticism, nonbelief, unbelief, disbelief
- deceptionlie, lies, lying, fake, fraud
faithlessnessfaithfulness
Devoted loyalty maintained
loyalty · fidelity · constancy · devotion · allegiance
faithlessnessfaith
Trust without proof
belief · piety · devoutness · godliness · devotion
faithlessnesstrustworthiness
Quality of being reliable
reliability · dependability · honesty · integrity · truthfulness
faith, faithful, unfaithful, faithfulness, confide, faiths, faithless, unfaithfulness, infidel