femme fatale

[ fem fuh-tal, -tahl, fey-; French fam fa-tal ]

noun

plural femmes fatales

1. an irresistibly attractive woman, especially one who leads men into difficult, dangerous, or disastrous situations; siren.

femme fatale

/ ˈfɛm fəˈtæl; fam fatal; -ˈtɑːl /

noun

1. an alluring or seductive woman, esp one who causes men to love her to their own distress

Word History and Origins

Origin of femme fatale¹

< French: literally, fatal woman

Word History and Origins

Origin of femme fatale¹

fatal woman

Related Words

• courtesan
• temptress
• vamp