coquette

noun

co·​quette kō-ˈket 

plural coquettes

1

: a woman who endeavors without sincere affection to gain the attention and admiration of men

… the book brought to mind a true Southern coquette, flashy and sweet and alluring all at the same time.

—Tina Jordan

2

: any of several small, tropical American hummingbirds (genus Lophornis) with the males typically having a colorful or ornate tuft of feathers on the head

… the rufous-crested coquette, a tiny hummingbird (with a red mohawk "hair-do") that was just as … flirty as its name.

—Thelma Dalmas

But the tiniest of these hummers was the one that elicited the most excitement: a festive coquette, an extremely rare green-crested bird with a white rump patch, only 3 inches long.

—James F. McCarty

coquettish

kō-ˈke-tish 

adjective

coquettishly adverb

coquettishness noun

Examples of coquette in a Sentence

She was a bit of a coquette.

Recent Examples on the Web

West Elm European Flax Linen Ruffle Sheet Set $279 West Elm Employing the teeniest of ruffles, this West Elm sheet set features just a hint of twee detailing, almost like a playful coquette. —Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 24 May 2025

The supermodel amped up the coquette look with a black ribbon in her hair. 04 of 18 Camila Cabello For the Chanel Paris Fashion Week show, Camila Cabello opted for a black tweed suit with a subtle white plaid print. —Catherine Santino, People.com, 11 Mar. 2025

So for all the coquette girlies on a budget, LoveShackFancy brushes are the biggest no-brainer. —Kleigh Balugo, StyleCaster, 26 Feb. 2025

Green is most definitely Cynthia’s color and the exaggerated bow silhouette of her dress is serving coquette vibes in the best way. —Kleigh Balugo, StyleCaster, 2 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, feminine of coquet — see coquet entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for coquette

• abet
• asset
• baguette
• banquette
• barbette
• beget
• beset
• brevet
• briquette
• brunet
• brunette
• burette

Kids Definition

coquette

noun

co·​quette kō-ˈket 

: a woman who tries without sincere affection to gain the attention and admiration of men : flirt

coquettish

-ˈket-ish 

adjective

coquettishly adverb

coquettishness noun