kiss of death

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kiss of death

Something that is ultimately ruinous, destructive, or fatal: "Divorce was once a political kiss of death" (Ellen Goodman).

[From the kiss by which Judas betrayed Jesus (Mark 14:44-46) .]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

kiss of death

an act or relationship that has fatal or disastrous consequences

[from Judas' kiss that betrayed Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:44–45)]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

kiss′ of death′

a relationship or action that makes failure or ruin inevitable.

[1945–50]

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Noun

kiss of death - something that is ruinous; "if this were known it would be the kiss of death for my political career"

calamity, catastrophe, tragedy, disaster, cataclysm - an event resulting in great loss and misfortune; "the whole city was affected by the irremediable calamity"; "the earthquake was a disaster"

Translations

colpo mortale

kiss of death

n (fam) the kiss of death → il colpo di grazia

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

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Jim Murphy announced on Saturday he was quitting as leader in Scotland - and delivered a parting shot at Mr McCluskey in which he branded him the "kiss of death" for the party.

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THE appointment of Jean-Claude Juncker as President of the European Union will turn out in time to be the kiss of death.

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Lore holds that in the past, here and in other area towns, potential recipients have turned the recognition down, fearing acceptance was the kiss of death.