Judas

noun

Ju·​das ˈjü-dəs How to pronounce Judas (audio)
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

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 Smith went on to star in The Hate U Give and Judas and the Black Messiah. Catherine Santino, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2024 Jesus also washed the feet of his disciples and shared a foreshadowing of Judas’ betrayal at the Garden of Gethsemane. Marina Johnson, The Indianapolis Star, 19 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, British heavy metal juggernauts Judas Priest nab a new chart best with Invincible Shield (Columbia), their 19th studio album. Lars Brandle, Billboard, 18 Mar. 2024 Yet Judas Priest have remained hell bent for leather and, undeterred, made another album. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2024 The film also colors complex, tense relationships with Judas (Harvey Keitel) and Mary Magdalene (Barbara Hershey) that effectively dramatize and emphasize Christ’s humanity. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 9 Mar. 2024 As Ana makes a home with Jesus, his brothers and his mother Mary, her brother Judas is busy stirring up resistance to the Roman occupation of Israel. Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 But growing up in the 1980s, Turner became enamored of a different genre: listening to — and learning to play — the hard rock and heavy metal of AC/DC, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden. Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2024 This year’s lineup is absolutely gigantic, featuring such masters of hard rock as Iron Maiden, Slayer, Halestorm, Slipknot, Pantera, Five Finger Death Punch, Evanescence, Judas Priest and Mötley Crüe. Jim Harrington, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Judas.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of Judas was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near Judas

Cite this Entry

“Judas.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Judas. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

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