Idiom
kiss of death
Meaning
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.
Examples
“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.”
Examples
simple
“That negative review was the kiss of death for the new restaurant.”
contextual
“The manager's public support for the failing project felt like the kiss of death to the rest of the team.”
complex
“Although the senator initially welcomed the endorsement, he soon realized it was the kiss of death among his core supporters.”
Origin
From the Biblical reference that when Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, he kissed Jesus.
Key words
Related idioms
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