femme fatale

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

noun

, plural femmes fa·tales [fem f, uh, -, talz, -, tahlz, fey-, f, a, m f, a, -, tal].

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

Example Sentences

Her performance adds an additional layer of mystery in that it is never quite clear whether she is a manipulative femme fatale, a damsel in distress or a woman just trying to figure herself out.

From Los Angeles Times

Enter the femme fatale at the edge of the pool.

From Los Angeles Times

Does Baron’s naïveté mean he is on the list of cinematic dimwits who have never seen a movie with a femme fatale?

From New York Times

Was I acting like a male or femme fatale?

From Seattle Times

“Long blond hair, padded shoulders — that entire femme fatale look, which I was a complete ham for.”

From New York Times

Related Words

• courtesan
• temptress
• vamp