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

Alice, Lost Highway Playing double duty as both Renee Madison and Alice Wakefield in 1997’s head-spinning Lost Highway, Patricia Arquette delivers a killer performance of another Lynch femme fatale with a twist. —Liam Hess, Vogue, 17 Jan. 2025

One of her best sellers, the Na Me Cause Am t-shirt, features a Black woman femme fatale with an afro as the subject. —Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 31 Oct. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, disastrous woman

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined at sense 1