treacherous journey definition

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treacherous adjective

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What does the adjective treacherous mean?

There are two meanings listed in OED's entry for the adjective treacherous . See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

Entry status

OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.

How common is the adjective treacherous ?

How is the adjective treacherous pronounced, british english, u.s. english, where does the adjective treacherous come from.

Earliest known use

Middle English

The earliest known use of the adjective treacherous is in the Middle English period (1150—1500).

OED's earliest evidence for treacherous is from around 1330, in the writing of Robert Mannyng, poet and historian.

treacherous is a borrowing from French.

Etymons: French trecheros .

Nearby entries

• tray stand, n. 1844–
• tray supper, n. 1825–
• traythly, adv. c1400
• tray top, n. 1934–
• TRC, n. 1995–
• treacher, n. c1290–1767
• treacherer, n. 1571–1601
• treacherize, v. 1656
• treacherizing, n. 1656
• treacherly, adv. c1394
• treacherous, adj. c1330–
• treacherously, adv. a1340–
• treacherousness, n. 1610–
• treachery, n. ?c1225–
• treachet, n. 1787
• treachetour, n. 1590–96
• treacle, n. 1340–
• treacle, v. c1500–
• treacle ale, n. a1833–
• treacle beer, n. 1806–
• Treacle Bible, n. 1899–

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Meaning & use

Pronunciation, compounds & derived words, entry history for treacherous, adj..

treacherous, adj. was first published in 1914; not yet revised.

treacherous, adj. was last modified in July 2023.

Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:

• corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
• new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into treacherous, adj. in July 2023.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

OED First Edition (1914)

• Find out more

OED Second Edition (1989)

• View treacherous, a. in OED Second Edition

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Citation details

Factsheet for treacherous, adj., browse entry.

Synonyms of treacherous

• as in traitorous
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Thesaurus Definition of treacherous

Synonyms & Similar Words

• untrustworthy
• irresponsible
• undependable
• dispassionate
• vacillating
• uninterested

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• responsible
• trustworthy
• down - the - line
• unfaltering
• unhesitating
• tried - and - true
• enthusiastic
• impassioned
• dyed - in - the - wool

Synonym Chooser

How is the word treacherous different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of treacherous are disloyal , faithless , false , perfidious , and traitorous . While all these words mean "untrue to what should command one's fidelity or allegiance," treacherous implies readiness to betray trust or confidence.

When can disloyal be used instead of treacherous ?

Although the words disloyal and treacherous have much in common, disloyal implies a lack of complete faithfulness to a friend, cause, leader, or country.

When could faithless be used to replace treacherous ?

While in some cases nearly identical to treacherous , faithless applies to any failure to keep a promise or pledge or any breach of allegiance or loyalty.

Where would false be a reasonable alternative to treacherous ?

The words false and treacherous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, false stresses the fact of failing to be true in any manner ranging from fickleness to cold treachery.

How do perfidious and faithless relate to one another, in the sense of treacherous ?

Perfidious adds to faithless the implication of an incapacity for fidelity or reliability.

When is traitorous a more appropriate choice than treacherous ?

The synonyms traitorous and treacherous are sometimes interchangeable, but traitorous implies either actual treason or a serious betrayal of trust.

Examples of treacherous in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'treacherous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near treacherous

treacheries

treacherous

treacherousness

Cite this Entry

“Treacherous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/treacherous. Accessed 7 Sep. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on treacherous

Nglish: Translation of treacherous for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of treacherous for Arabic Speakers

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• treacherous

adjective as in dishonest, disloyal

Strongest matches

Weak matches

• double-crossing
• double-dealing
• duplicitous
• false-hearted
• fly-by-night
• snake in the grass
• treasonable
• undependable
• untrustworthy

adjective as in dangerous

Example Sentences

He spent almost 200 miles dodging massive hornets and fire ants, hopping from downed tree to downed tree, and crossing treacherous rivers with about 100 other racers and nothing but the food he could carry and an occasional water refill.

Pernigotti said that only those who regularly climb in the Alps can appreciate how warmer weather has made the mountains more treacherous.

Observations from Earth suggested Bennu should be smooth and sandy, but when OSIRIS-REx arrived, it found a treacherous, rocky landscape.

The incident highlighted the treacherous news landscape where both reporters and policymakers now tread, one in which even protecting children can be weaponized by extremists.

To Filner, the treacherous San Diego business insiders, developers and Republicans had rigged the city’s political system to send resources to their pet projects and away from neighborhoods.

True, we travel this treacherous road at our own risk, but … *** Bob Weir: “If you want something for nothing, go jerk off.”

Big scary Transformer-like robots with heads ablaze that frighten the kids back across the treacherous desert?

While the journey north was always treacherous and costly, in the hands of the cartels it has become deadlier than ever.

Treacherous thatched-roof-haired drag-queen Linda Tripp, with those dress-for-success shoulder pads?

Soviet forces slowed Nazi advances, however, by laying vast and treacherous minefields.

This treacherous sort of calm, we thought, might forbode a storm, and we did not allow it to lull us into security.

The profound and treacherous night with its silence and semblance of peace settled upon the camp.

In a sudden, blind choler, she swept round, plucked the dagger from Tressan's belt and flung herself upon the treacherous captain.

Intellectually she is quite sound, but has a treacherous memory, and is very nervous.

A faithless woman, if known to be such by the person concerned, is but faithless; if she is believed faithful, she is treacherous.

Related Words

Words related to treacherous are not direct synonyms, but are associated with the word treacherous . Browse related words to learn more about word associations.

adjective as in dishonest

• extortionate
• fast and loose
• gone to the dogs
• on the take
• profiteering
• underhanded
• unprincipled
• unscrupulous

adjective as in not straightforward; dishonest

• dishonorable
• questionable

adjective as in hazardous, troubling

• impregnable
• on collision course
• speculative
• threatening
• touch-and-go

adjective as in dishonest, insincere

• clandestine
• counterfeit
• disingenuous
• hypocritical
• imposturous

Viewing 5 / 60 related words

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.

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treacherously

[ trech -er- uh s-lee ]

Darius of Persia was treacherously wounded by two of his own officers.

This peak looks treacherously easy, but it has seen a recurrence of avalanches.

He refused to go faster than 25 mph on the treacherously winding and narrow Wildwood Road.

Other Words From

• un·treach·er·ous·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of treacherously 1

Example Sentences

With temperatures near freezing most of the day and some roads treacherous, police asked residents to stay home.

Traveling from one river valley to the next, Rachael has to cross a mountain pass that’s positively treacherous in the winter, then follow a narrow, winding road through a canyon.

Ancient road networks crisscross the lava flows’ treacherous terrain, and pottery pieces and charcoal have been found in and around cave entrances.

A self-professed fitness enthusiast, Amos took special pleasure in the rucks, a run in full military gear over treacherous terrain.

The greens, meanwhile, will maintain their usual slickness thanks to the underground Sub-Air system that removes excess moisture to help keep them in treacherous shape all year.

Observers believe she sees support for the Rohingya as going treacherously against the tide of popular opinion.

Trying to build a one-state reality in the name of “inalienable rights and realpolitik” is treacherously dishonest.

But they, like Adam, have transgressed the covenant, there have they dealt treacherously against me.

But Tryphon, when he was upon a journey with the young king, Antiochus, treacherously slew him.

Duddingston was treacherously shot at and wounded; he and his men were set on shore, and the schooner was burnt.

I had you at my mercy when I was treacherously struck down from behind.

Thuringia was invaded, her king defeated, and after a while treacherously slain.

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Definition of treachery noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

• an act of treachery
• He was punished for his treacheries.
• Rumours of treachery and conspiracy began to circulate in the Queen’s court.

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Definition of 'path' path

Cobuild collocations treacherous path.

Browse alphabetically treacherous path

• treacherous
• treacherous conditions
• treacherous journey
• treacherous path
• treacherous road
• treacherous route
• treacherous sea
• All ENGLISH words that begin with 'T'

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Synonyms and antonyms of treacherous in English

Treacherous.

• ABLE TO HARM YOU

Synonyms and examples

Antonym and example, treacherous | american thesaurus.

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