false-hearted
Definition
- Adjective:
- Deceitful or treacherous: "false-hearted" describes someone who is disloyal, dishonest, or insincere in their affections or intentions. It implies a deliberate betrayal of trust or a lack of genuine feeling.
Usage Examples
- (A friend who was deceitful and disloyal.)
- (A person who is insincere and untrustworthy in a romantic relationship.)
Advanced Usage
- "false-hearted" as a literary or formal descriptor: Often used in older or poetic texts to emphasize moral failing or betrayal.
- The false-hearted king conspired against his own allies. (The treacherous king plotted against those who trusted him.)
Variants and Related Words
False-heartedness (noun): the quality or state of being deceitful or treacherous.
- His false-heartedness was revealed when he broke his oath. (His treachery became known.)
Hard-hearted (adj): lacking compassion or sympathy (note: this is a separate compound, not a synonym).
Synonyms
- Treacherous: guilty of or involving betrayal or deception.
- Deceitful: behaving in a way that is intended to mislead or trick.
- Perfidious: deliberately faithless; treacherous (formal or literary).
Related Idioms
A wolf in sheep's clothing: someone who appears harmless but is actually dangerous or deceitful.
- He seemed kind, but he was a wolf in sheep's clothing — a false-hearted schemer. (He hid his treachery behind a friendly appearance.)
To wear a mask: to hide one's true feelings or intentions.
- She wore a mask of friendship, but her false-hearted nature eventually showed. (She pretended to be a friend while being deceitful.)