Meaning & use
Judas
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Meanings
proper nounproperreligion
The disciple of Jesus who handed him over to his enemies in return for money, according to the New Testament.
Grammar: Capitalized, used as a name: Judas Iscariot.
Patterns
- Judas Iscariot
Judas is remembered as the disciple who betrayed Jesus.
The painting shows Judas holding a bag of coins.
Sermons often mention Judas when discussing betrayal.
nouncountabledisapprovingfigurative
A person who betrays a friend or a cause, often secretly.
Grammar: Often written with a capital, as in a Judas.
Patterns
- a Judas to someone
He felt like a Judas when he leaked the plans.
The team called him a Judas after he joined the rivals.
She was branded a Judas by her old colleagues.
nouncountableold-fashioned
A small opening in a door used for looking through.
Grammar: Usually judas hole, in lowercase.
Patterns
- judas hole
The guard peered through the judas in the cell door.
A small judas let him see who was knocking.
Word forms
| plural | Judases |
|---|
Common combinations
- Judas kiss
- His friendly greeting turned out to be a Judas kiss.
- Judas goat
- The animal served as a Judas goat leading others to the pen.
- play Judas
- He refused to play Judas to his own team.
- call someone a Judas
- They called him a Judas for selling the story.
- Judas Iscariot
- Judas Iscariot is the best-known traitor in the Bible.
Synonyms and how they differ
- traitor
- Traitor is the plain, general word for someone who betrays, while Judas carries a biblical weight of betrayal by a close friend.
- betrayer
- Betrayer is neutral and descriptive, whereas calling someone a Judas is a strong insult.
- turncoat
- Turncoat means someone who switches sides, not necessarily one who betrays a close friend.
- backstabber
- Backstabber is informal and suggests secret treachery, often in everyday workplaces.
Opposites
Word family
- Judas kiss noun
- an act of betrayal that looks like friendship
- Judas tree noun
- a tree with pink flowers, the redbud
- Judas goat noun
- an animal that leads others to slaughter
- Judean adjective
- relating to ancient Judea
Commonly confused: Judas or Jude?
Judas vs Jude
Jude is a different New Testament figure, and the book of Jude is not about betrayal.
Practice
Calling a colleague 'a Judas' means that he is
Choose one answer.
Judas, as a common noun, means a traitor; none of the other options carry that meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Judas”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.