Meanings
- A prophet of the New Testament who baptized Jesus and was subsequently executed by Herod Antipas.
In those daies came Iohn the Baptist, preaching in the wildernesse of Iudea, And saying, Repent yee: for the kingdome of heauen is at hand.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 3:1–2
- figurativelyA harbinger or prophetic figure, often one initially ignored or rejected by others.
[…] and praise such as Glenn Frank’s: “Keyserling may turn out to be a John the Baptist of a new Western civilization.”
1938 January 17, “Books: Keyserling”, in Time, volume 31, page 622 more examples
In 1935 Szálasi had been a lonely John the Baptist in Hungarian politics, the self-appointed leader of a tiny party, less than 500 strong, advocating an unpopular cause.
1956, Carlile Aylmer Macartney, October Fifteenth: A History of Modern Hungary, 1929–1945, volume 1, page 184Ellis makes Diaghilev a John the Baptist of a ‘classico-mathematical Renaissance’, and the notion that this was a renaissance of some kind or other was evidently in the air.
2003 September 21, Frank Kermode, “‘Pieces of My Mind’”, in The New York Times
Origin
- LatinIōannēs Baptista
- Middle EnglishJohan þe Babtis
- EnglishJohn the Baptist
From Middle English Johan þe Babtis, calqued from Latin Iōannēs Baptista.
More words from Middle English, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans Johannes die Doper
- Johannes die Doperbiblical prophet
Ancient Greek Ἰωάννης, Ἰωάννης ὁ βαπτιστής
- Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs)biblical prophet
- Ἰωάννης ὁ βαπτιστής (Iōánnēs ho baptistḗs)biblical prophet
- Ἰωάννης ὁ βαπτίζων (Iōánnēs ho baptízōn)biblical prophet
Arabic يُوحَنَّا الْمَعْمَدَان, يَحْيَى
- يُوحَنَّا الْمَعْمَدَان (yūḥannā l-maʕmadān)biblical prophet
- يَحْيَى (yaḥyā)biblical prophet
Basque Joan Bataiatzailea
- Joan Bataiatzaileabiblical prophet
Bulgarian Йоан Кръстител, Йоан Предтеча
- Йоан Кръстител (Joan Krăstitel)biblical prophet
- Йоан Предтеча (Joan Predteča)biblical prophet
Catalan Joan Baptista
- Joan Baptistabiblical prophet
Chinese Mandarin 施洗約翰 /施洗约翰, 施洗者約翰 /施洗者约翰
- 施洗約翰 /施洗约翰 (shīxǐ Yuēhàn)biblical prophet
- 施洗者約翰 /施洗者约翰 (shīxǐzhě Yuēhàn)biblical prophet
- 若翰洗者 (Shèng Ruòhàn xǐzhě)biblical prophet
Czech Jan Křtitel
- Jan Křtitelbiblical prophet
Danish Johannes Døberen
- Johannes Døberenbiblical prophet
Dutch Johannes de Doper
- Johannes de Doperbiblical prophet
Esperanto Johano la Baptisto
- Johano la Baptistobiblical prophet
Estonian Ristija Johannes
- Ristija Johannesbiblical prophet
Finnish Johannes Kastaja
- Johannes Kastajabiblical prophet
French Jean le Baptiste, Jean-Baptiste
- Jean le Baptistebiblical prophet
- Jean-Baptistebiblical prophet
German Johannes der Täufer
- Johannes der Täuferbiblical prophet
Greek Ιωάννης ο Βαπτιστής, Ιωάννης ο Πρόδρομος
- Ιωάννης ο Βαπτιστής (Ioánnis o Vaptistís)biblical prophet
- Ιωάννης ο Πρόδρομος (Ioánnis o Pródromos)biblical prophet
Hebrew יוחנן המטביל
- יוחנן המטבילbiblical prophet
Hindi यूहन्ना बपतिस्मा देनेवाला
- यूहन्ना बपतिस्मा देनेवाला (yūhannā baptismā denevālā)biblical prophet
Hungarian Keresztelő János
- Keresztelő Jánosbiblical prophet
Indonesian Yohannes Pembaptis
- Yohannes Pembaptisbiblical prophet
Irish Eoin Baiste
- Eoin Baistebiblical prophet
Italian Giovanni Battista
- Giovanni Battistabiblical prophet
Japanese 洗礼者ヨハネ
- 洗礼者ヨハネ (senreisha Yohane)biblical prophet
Korean 세례자 요한
- 세례자 요한 (seryeja yohan)biblical prophet
Latin Ioannes Baptista
- Ioannes Baptistabiblical prophet
Latvian Jānis Kristītājs
- Jānis Kristītājsbiblical prophet
Lithuanian Jonas Krikštytojas
- Jonas Krikštytojasbiblical prophet
Malay John Pembaptis
- John Pembaptisbiblical prophet
Norwegian Bokmål Johannes Døperen
- Johannes Døperenbiblical prophet
Persian یحیی, یوحنا معمدان
- یحیی (yahyâ)biblical prophet
- یوحنا معمدان (yuhannâ ma'madân)biblical prophet
Polish Jan Chrzciciel, Jan Baptysta
- Jan Chrzcicielbiblical prophet
- Jan Baptystabiblical prophet
Portuguese João Batista
- João Batistabiblical prophet
Romanian Ioan Botezătorul
- Ioan Botezătorulbiblical prophet
Russian Иоанн Креститель, Иоа́нн Предте́ча
- Иоанн Креститель (Ioann Krestitelʹ)biblical prophet
- Иоа́нн Предте́ча (Ioánn Predtéča)biblical prophet
Scottish Gaelic Eòin Baistidh
- Eòin Baistidhbiblical prophet
Slovak Ján Krstiteľ
- Ján Krstiteľbiblical prophet
Spanish Juan Bautista
- Juan Bautistabiblical prophet
Swahili Yohane Mbatizaji
- Yohane Mbatizajibiblical prophet
Swedish Johannes döparen
- Johannes döparenbiblical prophet
Turkish Vaftizci Yahya
- Vaftizci Yahyabiblical prophet
Ukrainian Іва́н Хрести́тель, Іван Предтеча
- Іва́н Хрести́тель (Iván Xrestýtelʹ)biblical prophet
- Іван Предтеча (Ivan Predteča)biblical prophet
- Йоан Хрестительbiblical prophet
- Йоан Предтеча (Joan Predteča)biblical prophet
- Іоан Хреститель (Ioan Xrestytelʹ)biblical prophet
- Іоан Предтеча (Ioan Predteča)biblical prophet
Urdu یوحنا اصطباغی, یوحنا بپتسمہ دینے والا
- یوحنا اصطباغیbiblical prophet
- یوحنا بپتسمہ دینے والاbiblical prophet
Vietnamese Gioan Baotixita, Gioan Tẩy Giả
- Gioan Baotixitabiblical prophet
- Gioan Tẩy Giảbiblical prophet
- Gioan Tiền Hôbiblical prophet
- Giăng Báp-títbiblical prophet
Welsh Ioan Fedyddiwr
- Ioan Fedyddiwrbiblical prophet
Cite this entry
John the Baptist. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/John%20the%20Baptist
“John the Baptist.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/John%20the%20Baptist. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “John the Baptist,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/John%20the%20Baptist.
Source: John the Baptist on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.