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 of femme fatale

• siren

Examples of femme fatale in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

At the center of it all was Anna Chapman (née Kushchenko) — the femme fatale turned media sensation. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026

In Lowen’s overactive imagination, Hathaway plays a Hitchcockian femme fatale always wearing her signature color, red. — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

Netflix recently released the official trailer, chock-full of retro-futuristic elements, like flying cars, jet packs, laser guns, aliens, and yes, a sultry femme fatale. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026

Lawrence Kasdan’s directorial debut is an erotic neo-noir thriller starring Kathleen Turner as the beguiling femme fatale Matty alongside William Hurt as an unscrupulous lawyer, Ned. — Air Mail, 29 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, disastrous woman

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for femme fatale

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