traitorous

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/ˈtɹeɪtəɹəs//ˈtɹeɪtɹəs/

adjective

Characteristic of a traitor; disloyal.

UncommonScrabble 10

Meanings

adjectivetraitorous (comparative more traitorous, superlative most traitorous)

comparative more traitorous · superlative most traitorous · alternative traitourous · alternative traiterous

  1. Characteristic of a traitor; disloyal.

    I tel you true my hart is ſwolne with wrath, On this ſame theeuish villain Tamburlain. And of that false Coſroe, my traiterous brother, Would it not grieue a King to be so abuſ’d?

    c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene ii
    1 more example

    I that inceſtuous, that adulterate beaſt, / With witchcraft of his wits, with trayterous gifts, / O wicked wit, and giftes that haue the power / So to ſeduce; wonne to his ſhamefull luſt / The will of my moſt ſeeming vertuous Queene; [...]

    c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: […] (Second Quarto), London: […] I[ames] R[oberts] for N[icholas] L[ing] […], published 1604, →OCLC, [Act I, scene v]

    Synonyms: infidelitous, Judaslike, traitorsome, treacherous, booky, dastardly, disleal, disloyal

Synonyms & antonyms

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivehaving the character of, or characteristic of, a traitor

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Old Frenchtraitros
  2. Anglo-Normantraiterous
  3. Middle Englishtrayterous
  4. Englishtraitorous

From Middle English trayterous, traytrous, (also Middle English traytours, treytours), from Anglo-Norman traiterous, traitourous and Old French traitros.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek προδοτικός
  • προδοτικός (prodotikós)characteristic of a traitor
Bulgarian предателски
  • предателски (predatelski)characteristic of a traitor
Catalan traïdor
  • traïdorcharacteristic of a traitor
Danish forræderisk
  • forræderiskcharacteristic of a traitor
German verräterisch, treulos
  • verräterischcharacteristic of a traitor
  • treuloscharacteristic of a traitor
  • untreucharacteristic of a traitor
Greek προδοτικός, στασιαστικός
  • προδοτικός (prodotikós)characteristic of a traitor
  • στασιαστικός (stasiastikós)law: constituting treason; treasonable or seditious
  • ανατρεπτικός (anatreptikós)law: constituting treason; treasonable or seditious
Norwegian Bokmål forrædersk, forræderisk
  • forræderskcharacteristic of a traitor
  • forræderiskcharacteristic of a traitor
Portuguese traiçoeiro, traidor
  • traiçoeirocharacteristic of a traitor
  • traidorcharacteristic of a traitor
Spanish traicionero, traidor
  • traicionerocharacteristic of a traitor
  • traidorcharacteristic of a traitor
  • kalécharacteristic of a traitor
  • magancés (disused)characteristic of a traitor
Swedish förrädisk
  • förrädiskcharacteristic of a traitor

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with traitorous

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

traitorous. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/traitorous

MLA

“traitorous.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/traitorous. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “traitorous,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/traitorous.

Source: traitorous on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.