kiss of death

noun phrase

: something (such as an act or association) ultimately causing ruin

The movie has a G rating, which is almost a kiss of death. Last year, fewer than 2% of new films were rated G, and nearly all of those were animated.

—Sports Illustrated

—usually used with the

Not long ago, when I proposed to my agent that she champion a book of mine as a work of literature instead of trying to present it as a "Sixties memoir," she told me, with a rueful laugh, that in publishing circles nowadays the "L" word is the kiss of death.

—Joel Agee

… a faraway region whose populations are so deeply anti-Western that any government cooperation with America can be the kiss of death …

—Alan Tonelson

Examples of kiss of death in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In fact, anyone who knows pro sports knows that a dream team is the kiss of death. — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 28 June 2026

Playing it safe against a team as dynamic as the Avalanche was the kiss of death. — Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 20 May 2026

Going out after the rehearsal dinner is always the kiss of death on a wedding weekend. — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 4 May 2026

Inauthenticity is a kiss of death with today’s voters, and Vance’s future prospects appear to be dimming as Americans watch him shape-shift in real time. — Sarah Longwell, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026

The kiss of death, a spicy sushi roll from Nakato. — Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 28 Mar. 2026

This could be the kiss of death for a company marketing itself as a way for models to get paid directly by their fans. — Gustavo Turner, HollywoodReporter, 26 Mar. 2026

Trump’s endorsement may now be the kiss of death. — Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 24 Feb. 2026

On the official score protocol, the jump is marked with an asterisk (*)—the mathematical kiss of death in figure skating. — Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 18 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from the kiss with which Judas betrayed Jesus (Mark 14:44–46)

First Known Use

1943, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for kiss of death

• shibboleth
• beth
• breath
• heth
• lethe
• meth
• neath
• seth
• sheth
• sneath