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Definition of treacherous

treacherous

/ˈtrɛtʃərəs/
treach · er · ous
Adverb:treacherously
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treacherous Lexical Profile

treacherous Game Scores & Validity

• adjective

1

Presenting hidden or unpredictable dangers; hazardous, unstable, or insecure (especially of ground, water, or weather conditions).

Example

"Freezing rain overnight made the mountain roads too treacherous for the morning commute."

2

Guilty of or involving betrayal, deception, or perfidy; untrustworthy and disloyal.

Example

"The historical drama chronicles the downfall of a monarch surrounded by treacherous advisors."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for treacherous
Antonyms
View all antonyms for treacherous

• Rhymes for treacherous

• Nearby Words

tray
traybake
trayful
treacherous
treacherously
treacherousness
treachery

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed in the 14th century from Anglo-French and Old French trecherous, derived from trechier ('to cheat or trick'), which is of Germanic origin.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Treacherous. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/treacherous
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