Standard Lemma guide

bewray

verb · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /bɪˈɹeɪ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪ
  • homophone: beray

1

verb

Meaning 1

To accuse; malign; speak evil of.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: besmirch, denigrate, diss, assassinate, asperse, backbite, badmouth, befoul, belibel, besmear, bewray, blacken, blame, blaze, blemish, blot, blur, calumniate, calumny, chat shit, chat shite, cloud, defame, demonize, deprave, depreciate, detract, dirty, discredit, disgrace, disparage, disrepute, drag through the mud, forgab, forspeak, foul, infamize, lampoon, libel, malign, monsterize, muddy, reproach, revile, scandal, shit-talk, slag, slander, smear, smirch, spatter, spot, speak ill of, stab, stain, sully, talk shit, talk shite, talk trash, tarnish, torch, traduce, trash-talk, unflatter, vilify, vilipend, villainize, wrong

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To reveal, divulge, or make (something) known; disclose.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To reveal, divulge, or make (something) known; disclose.

To reveal or disclose and show the presence or true character of, especially if unintentionally or incidentally, or else if perfidiously, prejudicially, or to one's discredit.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: disgrace, expose, uncover, bare, bewray, betray, display, find out, lay bare, luster, nake, open, reveal, show, uncloak, unfold, unveil, bring to light, disclose, divulge, let the cat out of the bag, let on, let out, make known, out, spill one's guts, spill the beans, tell

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To reveal, divulge, or make (something) known; disclose.

To expose or rat out (someone).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • 1846, Introduction to Letter 40 in Henry Ellis (editor), Original Letters, Illustrative of English History, Third Series, Volume I, London: Richard Bentley, p. 100, While this busy search was diligently applied and put in execution, Humphrey Banaster (were it more for fear of loss of life and goods, or attracted and provoked by the avaricious desire of the thousand pounds) he bewrayed his guest and master to John Mitton, then Sheriff of Shropshire, ...

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: inform, grass up, snitch, bewray, blow the whistle, clepe, denounce, dime, dime out, dob, drop a dime, drop a dime on someone, finger, fink, fizgig, inform on, grass on, lolly up, name names, nark, peach, rat on, rat out, roll on, sing, snitch up, squeak, squeal, tattle, tell, tell all, tell on, tell tales, tip off, turn in

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To reveal, divulge, or make (something) known; disclose.

To expose to harm.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To reveal, divulge, or make (something) known; disclose.

To expose (a deception).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To soil or befoul; to beray.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bedirty, begrime, besully, assoil, beclart, bedaub, imbrue (especially with blood), bedizen, befile, befilth, befoul, beray, beshit, besmear, besmirch, bewray, blacken, blot, blur, clat, contaminate, darken, defile, dirten, dirty, elt, file, foil, foul, gunk, gunk up, inquinate, scunge, sling mud, slotter, slur, smear, smirch, smudge, smut, smutch, soil, soss, sowl, spot, stain, sullow, sully, tarnish, uggle

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

reveal unintentionally

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Her smile betrayed her true feelings

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: betray

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: unwrap, disclose, let on, bring out, reveal, discover, expose, divulge, break, give away, let out

History

Etymology

From Middle English bewraien, bewreyen, biwreyen, from Old English *bewrēġan, from Proto-Germanic *biwrōgijaną (“to speak about; tell on; inform of”). Cognate with Old Frisian biwrōgja (“to disclose, reveal”), Dutch bewroegen (“to blame; accuse”), Middle Low German bewrȫgen (“to accuse; complain about; punish”), Old High German biruogen (“to disclose, reveal”), Modern German berügen (“to defraud”).

Variant of beray.

Across languages

Translations

1 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Russian: выдавать (vydavatʹ) — to expose a person, rat someone out