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

• siren

Examples of femme fatale in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

From femme fatale to romantic leading lady, Margot Robbie finally got a chance to work with Colin Farrell. —Glenn Garner, Deadline, 22 Aug. 2025

In Netflix’s newest drama sensation The Hunting Wives, Malin Åkerman plays her Texas housewife character as a femme fatale. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2025

Anderson plays Beth Davenport, a femme fatale in the style of Priscilla Presley's Jane Spencer from the original films. —Allison Degrushe Published, EW.com, 2 Aug. 2025

In the film, an update of the classic 1988 comedy starring Leslie Nielsen and Priscilla Presley, Anderson plays Beth Davenport, a femme fatale who falls for bumbling L.A. Police Squad lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr. (Liam Neeson), the son of Nielsen’s character. —Latoya Gayle, People.com, 22 July 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