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

Every actor is absolutely perfect in this super-efficient romp, from Cleese’s perfect straight man amidst the chaos, to Curtis’ seductive, cunning femme fatale, to Palin’s stammering, animal-loving hitman whose assassination attempts go disastrously wrong. —Travis Bean, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025

Who can forget the sparkling black halterneck dress worn by Isabella Rossellini’s femme fatale lounge singer in Blue Velvet, or the prim cardigans worn by Naomi Watts in Muholland Drive as Betty, a wide-eyed, small-town girl arriving in Los Angeles for the first time? —Liam Hess, Vogue, 17 Jan. 2025

The footage captured by the NatGeo crew includes a hair-raising segment where this femme fatale opts not to wait for her prey to come to her. —Ars Technica, 14 Jan. 2025

Director Anna Biller expertly pairs female fantasy with the trope of the femme fatale. —Brooke Knisley, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, disastrous woman

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for femme fatale

• duopoly
• melancholy
• pulmonale
• triticale
• akali
• bengali
• diwali
• loblolly
• naphtali
• nepali
• secale
• somali