{
    "term": "betray",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "ox5000": true,
    "cefr": "c1",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "betray",
            "heSheIt": "betrays"
        },
        "pastSimple": "betrayed",
        "pastParticiple": "betrayed",
        "ingForm": "betraying"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to give information about somebody/something to an enemy",
            "sensetop": "betray somebody/somethingbetray somebody/something to somebody",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "He was offered money to betray his colleagues.",
                    "contextForm": "betray somebody/something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "For years they had been betraying state secrets to Russia.",
                    "contextForm": "betray somebody/something to somebody"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to hurt somebody who trusts you, especially by lying to or about them or telling their secrets to other people",
            "sensetop": "betray somebody/something",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "She felt betrayed when she found out the truth about him."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She **betrayed his trust** over and over again."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I have never known her to **betray a confidence** *(= tell other people something that should be kept secret)*."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "to ignore your principles or beliefs in order to achieve something or gain an advantage for yourself",
            "sensetop": "betray something",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "He has been accused of betraying his former socialist ideals."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 4,
            "definition": "to tell somebody or make them aware of a piece of information, a feeling, etc., usually without meaning to",
            "sensetop": "betray somethingbetray yourself",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "His voice betrayed the worry he was trying to hide.",
                    "contextForm": "betray something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "She was terrified of saying something that would make her betray herself *(= show her feelings or who she was)*.",
                    "contextForm": "betray yourself"
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "give away"
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/bɪˈtreɪ/",
                "audio": "be/betray/betray__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/bɪˈtreɪz/",
                "audio": "be/betray/betrays__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/bɪˈtreɪd/",
                "audio": "be/betray/betrayed__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/bɪˈtreɪɪŋ/",
                "audio": "be/betray/betraying__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/bɪˈtreɪ/",
                "audio": "be/betray/betray__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/bɪˈtreɪz/",
                "audio": "be/betray/betrays__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/bɪˈtreɪd/",
                "audio": "be/betray/betrayed__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/bɪˈtreɪɪŋ/",
                "audio": "be/betray/betraying__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Middle English: from be- ‘thoroughly’ + obsolete tray ‘betray’, from Old French trair, based on Latin tradere ‘hand over’."
}