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

In Season 2, expect Pine to confront those feelings head-on, thanks to another likeminded arms dealer and alluring femme fatale who put him in the crosshairs again. —Jake Kring-Schreifels, Time, 9 Jan. 2026

Liam Neeson puts on his best gravelly voice to play Jack Drebin, the son of Leslie Nielsen’s Frank; Pamela Anderson has fun as his femme fatale; and Danny Huston is the Musk-like villain. —The Week Uk, TheWeek, 4 Jan. 2026

In this passionate drama, Bardot consolidated her image as a femme fatale and rebellious woman. —Bianca Novembre, Vanity Fair, 28 Dec. 2025

In theory, the femme fatale (Kathleen Turner) could now just get a divorce, under no-fault laws, and live comfortably. —Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 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