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

• traitor

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

His death was met with an outpouring of tributes from icons across music and entertainment, including Elton John, Metallica, Billy Idol and Judas Priest, among others. —Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2025

People everywhere had tears streaming right along with Erivo’s. Lambert, meanwhile, reveled in Judas’s arc from swagger to ruin, balancing streetwise regret with near-mythic torment. —David Hochman, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025

The production company’s debut feature was Shaka King’s Judas and the Black Messiah, which was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, leading star Daniel Kaluuya to a Best Supporting Actor Oscar win and H.E.R.’s clinching of the Best Original Song award. —Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 3 Aug. 2025

Cynthia Erivo leads the production as the superstar that is Jesus Christ with Adam Lambert as her foil, Judas. —Maureen Lee Lenker Published, EW.com, 1 Aug. 2025

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