Turncoats: meaning, definitions and examples

A very strong and negative term used to describe someone who betrays their country, organization, or trust. It is often associated with a serious breach of loyalty and carries a heavy stigma.

• He was executed as a traitor for providing aid to the enemy during the war.
• Many of his former allies now consider him a traitor.

A more general term for someone who betrays trust or a cause. This word often involves a personal relationship or agreement and has a strongly negative connotation.

• She felt like a betrayer for revealing her friend's secrets.
• He was labeled a betrayer after selling the company's confidential information to a competitor.

This term is commonly used to describe someone who abandons a country or organization, often to join an opposing one. It is frequently used in political or military contexts and might not always have a personal betrayal element.

• The high-profile defector sought asylum in the neighboring country.
• After years of service, the defector provided valuable intelligence to the enemy.

This word is used when someone abandons their duty, allegiance, or position, especially in a political or military context, to join an opposing side.

• The defector provided valuable intelligence to the rival nation

This term is often used for someone who deserts and betrays an organization, country, or set of principles. However, it can also be used less negatively to describe someone who rebels against conventional norms or rules.

• The renegade officer refused to follow unethical orders from his superiors

This term is used for someone who betrays another person in a very personal and often secretive manner. It implies a more personal relationship and betrayal. Strong negative connotation.

• She thought they were friends, but he turned out to be a backstabber who spread rumors about her