Judas

noun

Ju·​das ˈjü-dəs 

1

a

: the apostle who in the Gospel accounts betrayed Jesus

b

: a son of James and one of the twelve apostles

2

: traitor

especially : one who betrays under the guise of friendship

3

not capitalized : peephole

called also judas hole, judas window

Synonyms

• apostate
• backstabber
• betrayer
• double-crosser
• double-dealer
• quisling
• recreant
• serpent
• snake
• traitor
• turncoat

Examples of Judas in a Sentence

He was called a Judas by the press.

she heatedly called her best friend a Judas after she found out her secrets had been spread all over town

Recent Examples on the Web

We’re sometimes referred to as B leaguers instead of A leaguers like the mighty Van Halen or Judas Priest—some of my favorite bands of all time. —Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 21 Oct. 2024

Seemingly every other person dresses in denim shorts and band T-shirts—Slayer, Megadeth, Pantera, AC/DC, Metallica, Judas Priest, Van Halen, Black Sabbath. —Sean Williams, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024

The girls were brought to the office, where they were reprimanded by another administrator who compared their behavior to that of Judas, the disciple who betrayed Jesus Christ, leading to his death by crucifixion. —Josh Wood, The Courier-Journal, 17 Oct. 2024

Throughout the session Kaluuya and Walters discussed clips from across the Get Out actor’s career, including his start as a writer on the popular British teen show Skins up to his work with Jordan Peele and his Oscar-winning turn in Judas and the Black Messiah. —Zac Ntim, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin, from Greek Ioudas, from Hebrew Yĕhūdhāh

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing Judas

• Judas Iscariot
• Judas tree