betray a trust

Meaning

To break a promise, share a secret, or act dishonestly toward someone who trusted you. It is used in both personal relationships and professional contexts to describe a serious breach of confidence. The tone is serious and carries a heavy emotional weight.

Examples

• Sharing her private journal with the rest of the class was a cruel way to betray a trust.

  Sharing her private journal with the rest of the class was a cruel way to betray a trust.

• Once you betray a trust, it is incredibly difficult to rebuild that relationship.

  Once you betray a trust, it is incredibly difficult to rebuild that relationship.

• He didn't mean to betray a trust, but he let the secret slip during dinner.

  He didn't mean to betray a trust, but he let the secret slip during dinner.

• I would never betray a trust just to get a sensational story for the newspaper.

  I would never betray a trust just to get a sensational story for the newspaper.

• To betray a trust is one of the fastest ways to lose your best friend.

  To betray a trust is one of the fastest ways to lose your best friend.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I don't want to betray a confidence trust.

  ✓ I don't want to betray a trust.

  Do not mix the two distinct collocations 'betray a trust' and 'betray a confidence'. Choose one or the other.

• ✗ She made a betray of trust when she told him.

  ✓ She betrayed a trust when she told him.

  'Betray' is a verb. Using 'made a betray of' is grammatically incorrect and unnatural. Use the verb form directly.

Related Expressions

Practice

• She promised to keep my secret, so I knew she would never ___.

  💡 To break someone's confidence or act dishonestly toward them.

  Show answer

  betray a trust

• To ___ is to damage a friendship, sometimes permanently.

  💡 An expression meaning to break a promise or reveal a secret.

  Show answer

  betray a trust