ShortMeaning, pronunciation & vowel sounds
Perfidy Meaning & Pronunciation
/ˈpɜrfɪdi/ · noun
Perfidy is deliberate betrayal of trust: the act or quality of being faithless and treacherous toward someone who relied on you.
How to say it
How to pronounce perfidy
perfidy
The vowel breakdown
Vowel sounds in perfidy
Each vowel sound below shows the letters that spell it, the sound they make, and the phonics pattern behind it.
Er, ir, and ur all spell the same /ɜr/ sound, as in her, bird, and fur.
Practise this pattern →A short, relaxed /ɪ/ in the unstressed middle syllable, as in sit.
Practise this pattern →Final y at the end of a word makes a light /i/ sound, as in happy and city.
Practise this pattern →Definition
What does perfidy mean?
Deliberate betrayal of trust; faithlessness or treachery.
“The senator's perfidy shocked the voters who had believed in him.”
A treacherous act of betrayal.
“Selling the secret plans to the enemy was an act of perfidy.”
Word forms: perfidy · perfidious (adjective)
The adjective is perfidious, pronounced /pərˈfɪdiəs/, as in a perfidious friend.
Where it comes from
Origin of perfidy
Perfidy comes from Latin perfidia, from perfidus, meaning faithless, which is related to fides, meaning faith or trust.
Similar words
Frequently asked questions
What does perfidy mean?
Perfidy means deliberate betrayal of trust. It describes the act or the quality of being faithless and treacherous toward someone who trusted you.
How do you pronounce perfidy?
Perfidy is pronounced /ˈpɜrfɪdi/, or PUR-fih-dee, with the stress on the first syllable.
What is the adjective form of perfidy?
The adjective is perfidious, as in a perfidious ally. It means guilty of betrayal or likely to betray.
Is perfidy a common word?
It is a formal, fairly rare word, more common in literature, history, and political writing than in everyday conversation.