kiss of death

Save This Word!

See synonyms for kiss of death on Thesaurus.com

noun

a fatal or destructive relationship or action: The support of the outlawed group was the kiss of death to the candidate.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.

Question 1 of 7

“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

true

false

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of kiss of death

First recorded in 1945–50

Words nearby kiss of death

Kissinger, Henry, kissing gate, kissing gourami, kissing kin, kissingly, kiss of death, kiss-off, kiss of life, kiss of peace, kisspeptin, kissy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use kiss of death in a sentence

I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.
The Muslim Cop Killed by Terrorists|Michael Daly|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Asia Bibi, as she is known, was arrested and sentenced to death.
In Defense of Blasphemy|Michael Tomasky|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The most notorious states are Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, where death is an acceptable legal remedy.
In Defense of Blasphemy|Michael Tomasky|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Father Joel Román Salazar died in a car crash in 2013; his death was ruled an accident, but the suspicion of foul play persists.
Mexico’s Priests Are Marked for Murder|Jason McGahan|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

The death toll, which experts believe has been significantly undercut by secret burials, stands at 7,905.
The Race for the Ebola Vaccine|Abby Haglage|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
This is the place where the Muscovite criminals are banished to, if they are not put to death.
The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner (1801)|Daniel Defoe
Elyon is the name of an ancient Phœnician god, slain by his son El, no doubt the “first-born of death” in Job xviii.
Solomon and Solomonic Literature|Moncure Daniel Conway
Your sacrifice shall be the agony of agonies, the death of deaths, and yet you'll find yourself unable to resist.
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
Good is set against evil, and life against death: so also is the sinner against a just man.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
For of sadness cometh death, and it overwhelmeth the strength, and the sorrow of the heart boweth down the neck.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various

British Dictionary definitions for kiss of death

kiss of death

noun

an act or relationship that has fatal or disastrous consequences

Word Origin for kiss of death

from Judas' kiss that betrayed Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:44–45)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with kiss of death

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.

kiss of death

Origin of kiss of death

Words nearby kiss of death

Words related to kiss of death

How to use kiss of death in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for kiss of death

Word Origin for kiss of death

Other Idioms and Phrases with kiss of death