Word: perfidious (adjective)

Associations

"Perfidious" means very untrustworthy or disloyal. It describes someone who betrays trust or is deceitful.

• Example 1: "He was a perfidious friend who told all my secrets to others." This shows betrayal in friendship.
• Example 2: "The perfidious act of spying damaged their relationship." Here, it means betrayal by spying.
• Example 3: "She was perfidious in business, cheating her partners." This means dishonest and unfaithful in business. A similar word is "treacherous," but "perfidious" often emphasizes betrayal of trust, while "treacherous" can also mean dangerous or unstable. Use "perfidious" mainly for betrayal or disloyalty.

Substitution

You can replace "perfidious" with:

• unfaithful (more common, less formal)
• disloyal (focuses on lack of loyalty)
• deceitful (focuses on lying or tricking)
• treacherous (stronger, can mean dangerous or betraying) Changing the word changes the tone: "perfidious" sounds formal and strong about betrayal.

Deconstruction

"Perfidious" comes from Latin:

• Prefix "per-" means "through" or "thoroughly"
• Root "fid-" means "faith" or "trust" (from Latin "fides")
• Suffix "-ious" means "having the quality of" So, "perfidious" literally means "thoroughly unfaithful" or "breaking trust completely."

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when someone was untrustworthy or betrayed you? Would you call them perfidious?
• How is "perfidious" different from just being "rude" or "mean"?
• In what situations would it be important to recognize perfidious behavior? For example, in friendships, work, or politics?