Femme Fatale Definition & Meaning

American

British

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms femme fatale American [fem fuh-tal, -tahl, fey-, fam fa-tal] / ˌfɛm fəˈtæl, -ˈtɑl, feɪ-, fam faˈtal /

noun

plural

femmes fatales

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

femme fatale British / ˈfɛm fəˈtæl, fam fatal, -ˈtɑːl /

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of femme fatale

< French: literally, fatal woman

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

While many international productions of “Carmen” have historically minimized Spain by centering its titular femme fatale, Hindoyan said this version puts the Mediterranean country back in the picture.

From Los Angeles Times

But facts were easily eclipsed by lurid speculation, particularly when Short’s nickname was made public: The Black Dahlia was, after all, the perfect moniker for a femme fatale.

From The Wall Street Journal

Will you be surprised to learn he carries with him a dark secret, or that his estranged wife, as opposed to the radiant daughter of the boat’s skipper, is one doozy of a femme fatale?

From The Wall Street Journal

Ultimately, the French femme fatale catches her attention for other reasons.

From Los Angeles Times

He has the tender, shining eyes of an ingenue while Del Campo, who has a striking birthmark on her cheek, is a femme fatale able to hold her own against Wolff’s selfish, useless playboy.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• courtesan
• temptress
• vamp

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.