femme fatale

noun

femme fa·​tale ˌfem-fə-ˈtal 

ˌfam-,

-ˈtäl 

plural femmes fatales ˌfem-fə-ˈtal(z) 

ˌfam-,

-ˈtäl(z)

1

: a seductive woman who lures men into dangerous or compromising situations

2

: a woman who attracts men by an aura of charm and mystery

Synonyms

• enchantress
• seductress
• siren
• temptress

Examples of femme fatale in a Sentence

an actress who was often cast as cynical, sexy femmes fatales

Recent Examples on the Web

Hit Man ultimately is about Gary's romance with another potential paycheck (Adria Arjona), who has some of the enticingly dangerous appeal of a femme fatale out of a James M. Cain thriller. —Tom Gliatto, People.com, 11 Dec. 2024

So there’s an established trope of the femme fatale Russian female agent. —Erin Douglass, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Dec. 2024

The Jonathan that Nancy brought to the page no longer exists; neither does her version of Catherine — a femme fatale conjured from a measly roll of boudoir photos. —Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2024

Meanwhile, somewhere near the psychedelic portal of the gods, Maui is mixing it up with a slinky femme fatale type named Matangi (Awhimai Fraser), who is largely characterized by her love of bats and Morticia Addams evening wear. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, disastrous woman

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined at sense 1