kiss of death
Something that may seem good and favorable but that actually brings ruin to hopes, plans, etc.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“That negative review was the kiss of death for the new restaurant.”
“The manager's public support for the failing project felt like the kiss of death to the rest of the team.”
“Although the senator initially welcomed the endorsement, he soon realized it was the kiss of death among his core supporters.”
From the Biblical reference that when Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, he kissed Jesus.
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article of death
The moment of death.
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betray with a kiss
To betray someone in a seemingly inconspicuous or innocuous manner.
- 03
blow a kiss
To kiss one's own hand, then blow on it in a direction towards the recipient.
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catch one's death
To contract a serious illness, especially a nasty cold or other respiratory ailment and especially as a result of exposure to wet or chilly weather.
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death and taxes
Something which is totally certain.
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death by a thousand paper cuts
An ultimate negative outcome, such as the failure of a project, brought about by an excessive number of bureaucratic hurdles.
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death by PowerPoint
The boredom or disengagement that an audience experiences from poorly designed or overly verbose presentations using any type of presentation software.
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die a thousand deaths
To suffer repeatedly (often mentally rather than physically); to suffer extreme embarrassment or anxiety.
Last updated August 10, 2026