the kiss of death

kiss of death

An action, event, or association that causes inevitable ruin or failure. An allusion to Judas Iscariot's betrayal of Jesus Christ, during which Judas kissed Jesus as a way of identifying him to those who would put him to death. The company's connection to the disgraced media mogul will likely prove to be its kiss of death. The president refused to stand by the senator during the crisis—essentially giving him the kiss of death.

See also: death, kiss, of

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

kiss of death

An action or relationship that is ultimately ruinous. For example, Some regard a royal divorce as a kiss of death to the monarchy. This term alludes to the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot, who kissed him as a way of identifying him to the soldiers who came to arrest him (Matthew 26: 47-49). It dates only from about 1940 but was previously called a Judas kiss.

See also: death, kiss, of

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

the kiss of death

COMMON If an event or action is the kiss of death for something, it is certain to cause that thing to fail or be ruined. The conventional view of the timber industry is that it is the kiss of death for a rainforest. Living with other painters is the kiss of death. Note: This expression refers to the Bible story of how Judas betrayed Jesus by kissing him. This identified Jesus to the Romans, and led to his arrest and crucifixion.

See also: death, kiss, of

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

kiss of death

an action or event that causes certain failure for an enterprise.

This expression may refer to the kiss of betrayal given by Judas Iscariot to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:48–9).

1998 Spectator I commend the Commission's recent Green Paper and its efforts to introduce an enlightened, evolutionary discussion—although I hope my saying so will not be the kiss of death.

See also: death, kiss, of

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

the kiss of ˈdeath

(informal, often humorous) an action or event that seems good, but is certain to make something else fail: When the chairman said he had every confidence in me, I knew it was the kiss of death. A week later I was looking for another job.

See also: death, kiss, of

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

kiss of death

n. the direct cause of the end of someone or something. Your attitude was the kiss of death for your employment here.

See also: death, kiss, of

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.