# a Judas kiss

idiom · CEFR C1

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/judas-kiss
Updated: 2026-07-29

## Meaning

An act of betrayal disguised as friendship or affection.

## Examples

- His friendly handshake turned out to be a Judas kiss.
- The glowing public endorsement was a Judas kiss; behind the scenes he was already briefing against her.
- The partner's warm reassurances in the boardroom were a Judas kiss, delivered with perfect sincerity even as the paperwork that would force the founder out sat signed and waiting in his desk drawer.

## Origin

The phrase comes from the arrest of Jesus in Matthew 26:48–49, echoed in Luke 22:47–48. Judas Iscariot has arranged a signal with the soldiers — the man I kiss is the one — and then greets Jesus with a kiss to mark him out for capture, turning a customary gesture of greeting and respect into the instrument of betrayal. What makes the image so durable is the perversion of intimacy: the very sign of affection is used to hand a friend over to his enemies. In English a Judas kiss is any act of treachery wrapped in a show of warmth or loyalty — the smile, the embrace, the reassurance offered by someone who is at that moment selling you out.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.