femme fatale

noun

femme fa·​tale ˌfem-fə-ˈtal How to pronounce femme fatale (audio)
ˌfam-,
-ˈtäl How to pronounce femme fatale (audio)
plural femmes fatales ˌfem-fə-ˈtal(z) How to pronounce femme fatale (audio)
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

Examples of femme fatale in a Sentence

an actress who was often cast as cynical, sexy femmes fatales
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Enter Anderson, who steps into the femme fatale role previously filled by Presley, whose character Jane Spencer eventually married Nielsen's Frank Drebin and had a baby with him at the end of the third movie. EW.com, 8 July 2025 The first winner was Grace Ling, whose looks were inspired by a femme fatale character. Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 8 July 2025 In The Naked Gun, a sequel-reboot to the crime spoofs of the 1980s and ’90s starring Leslie Nielsen, Anderson plays femme fatale Beth. Jack Smart, People.com, 18 June 2025 YouTube/Paramount Pictures Pamela Anderson plays a sultry femme fatale. ArsTechnica, 16 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for femme fatale

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, disastrous woman

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of femme fatale was in 1879

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Cite this Entry

“Femme fatale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/femme%20fatale. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.

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