What Do You Call Someone Who Doesn’t Keep Their Word?

We’ve all met a frustrating person who never carries out their promises. But is there one word we can use to describe such a person in English?

Below, we’ve compiled a list of words for someone who doesn’t keep their promises, so read on to find what you seek!

Words for Someone Who Doesn’t Keep Their Word

  • Unreliable
  • Liar
  • Reneger
  • Flake
  • Untrustworthy
  • Welcher
  • Promise-breaker
  • Oathbreaker
  • Defaulter
  • Piker
  • Unfaithful
  • Disloyal
  • Faithless
  • Perfidious
  • Betrayer

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Someone who is too irresponsible to carry out their promises is “unreliable.”
  • You can call someone a “liar” if they make promises they know they won’t keep.
  • A “reneger” goes back on their commitments because they change their mind.

Keep reading! In the next section, we’ll discuss our top three terms for someone who doesn’t keep their word in more detail.

We’ll even show you how to use each of our chosen words in some helpful example sentences!

Unreliable

The Cambridge Dictionary defines the word “unreliable” as “not able to be trusted or believed.”

Therefore, you can use this word to describe someone who makes promises but never keeps them.

Calling someone “unreliable” is very critical. Essentially someone “unreliable” cannot be relied on to keep their word and do what they say they will do.

Therefore, you will usually call someone “unreliable” if they constantly let you down.

It’s important to note, however, that an “unreliable” person may not have bad intentions. It is possible that they never carry out their promises because they are irresponsible. However, they may truly mean what they say when they say it.

For example:

Jasper has always been unreliable, so I never get my hopes up when he says he’ll come through for me.

Sansa is an unreliable narrator, so you can’t trust her recollection of how things occurred.

Liar

“Liar” is another word for a person who never follows through on their promises. Merriam-Webster defines a “liar” as “a person who tells lies.”

Unlike someone who is simply “unreliable,” a “liar” doesn’t mean what they say and will purposefully mislead you.

In other words, a liar intends to tell mistruths. Therefore, when they make promises, they know at the time of the promise that they do not intend to keep their word. 

Thus, calling someone a liar is very negative. As such, this term is best suited for someone who actively lies rather than someone who makes promises and forgets about them.

Let’s see a couple of examples making use of this phrase:

Jesse has always been a liar; if he said the sky was blue, I’d look outside the window to make sure.

You’re such a liar! You always promise to do better, but I know you don’t mean a word of it.

Reneger

According to Merriam-Webster, to “renege” means “to go back on a promise or commitment.” Therefore, a “reneger” is someone who consistently breaks their promises.

If someone makes a habit of making commitments but never following through with those commitments, then you can call them a “reneger.”

Usually, a “reneger” will refuse to carry out a promise because they have changed their mind since making the promise.

Therefore, calling someone a “reneger” is more serious than calling them “unreliable.” After all, an “unreliable” person may just forget their promises. A “reneger” is aware of their agreement but refuses to carry it out.

Similarly, a “reneger” isn’t necessarily a “liar” since they may intend to carry out their promise when they make it. However, their intention changes when it is time for them to do what they promised.

Finally, have a look at the following example sentences:

Joan is a notorious reneger; her mind changes with the wind.

I called him a reneger because he refused to repair the damage in the house despite agreeing to do so in our contract.