Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person who abandons their duty or post, especially in the military: A "deserter" is someone who leaves their assigned military position or duty without permission and with no intention of returning.
   • A person who abandons a cause, party, or allegiance: A "deserter" can also refer to someone who betrays or forsakes a group, organization, political party, or set of principles they were once loyal to.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The army court-martialed the deserter. (The military tried the person who abandoned their post in a court of law.)
  • He was labeled a deserter by his former political party after he joined the opposition. (He was called a betrayer by his old party for switching sides.)

Advanced Usage

• "Turn deserter": to become a deserter.
  • Facing harsh conditions, several soldiers turned deserter. (Due to the difficult situation, several soldiers abandoned their posts.)

Variants and Related Words

• Desert (verb): to abandon or leave without permission.
  • He decided to desert the army. (He chose to leave the military illegally.)
• Desertion (noun): the act of deserting.
  • Desertion during wartime is a serious crime. (Abandoning one's post during war is a major offense.)

Synonyms

• Defector: a person who leaves one country or group to go to another, often for political reasons.
• Runaway: a person who has run away, especially from an institution or duty.
• Traitor: a person who betrays a country, cause, or trust.

Related Phrases

• To be branded a deserter: to be publicly labeled as a deserter.
  • After fleeing the battle, he was branded a deserter. (After running from the fight, he was officially declared a person who abandoned his duty.)

Related Idioms

• "Desert the sinking ship": to abandon a failing enterprise or cause. (Note: This idiom uses the verb "desert," from which "deserter" is derived.)
  • When the company started failing, many executives deserted the sinking ship. (When the company began to fail, many leaders abandoned it.)

Noun

1. a person who abandons their duty (as on a military post)
2. a disloyal person who betrays or deserts his cause or religion or political party or friend etc.