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

The show stars Antoine Simony, Marin Judas and Namory Bakayok, and is produced by P33 Studio. —Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 25 Sep. 2024

In 2021, the festival expanded to four days and included a historic lineup with Metallica, Korn, Disturbed, Jane's Addiction, Staind, Machine Gun Kelly, Judas Priest and more. —Kirby Adams, The Courier-Journal, 23 Sep. 2024

Some connect bad luck to biblical tradition, where Christ was believed to be crucified on a Friday, and Judas (the 13th person at the Last Supper) is believed to have betrayed Jesus. —Alex Perry, The Enquirer, 13 Sep. 2024

Some speculate that Friday the 13th is unlucky because Judas was the 13th guest at the Last Supper, or that Knights Templar were condemned on a Friday the 13th. —Kaity Kline, NPR, 13 Sep. 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