kiss of death
Meanings
noun
- A kiss on the cheek that signifies the death of the receiver, as delivered by a mob boss or one with such influence.
- Something that may seem good and favorable but that actually brings ruin to hopes, plans, etc.
Pronunciation
Word forms
Etymology
From the Biblical reference that when Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, he kissed Jesus.
Related words
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.