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
Examples of femme fatale in a Sentence
an actress who was often cast as cynical, sexy femmes fatales
Recent Examples on the Web
The femme fatale vibe doesn't stop with her hair, either.
—
Kara Nesvig, Allure, 25 Mar. 2024
Sleeping Dogs plays with the tropes of the femme fatale through Baines, although Gillan hesitates to use that description for her.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Mar. 2024
The perfect vehicle for Halle Berry's sultry-sweet charisma, Ginger's less femme fatale than femme mystérieuse.
—Ew Staff Updated, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2024
Turns out a femme fatale has been poisoning and plotting for their end all along.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 29 Feb. 2024
When her new husband's ex-wife dies, Laurie is painted as a femme fatale and convicted of murder.
—Journal Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2024
Nigerian actress Temi Otedola oozed the mystery of a film noir femme fatale in a floor-length black coat, tightly cinched with the lacy hint of a negligee peeking out beneath.
—Ian Malone, Vogue, 4 Mar. 2024
Rihanna and her partner A$AP Rocky put their twist on the popular ‘40s genre to promote Fenty Beauty’s Lux Balm Ultra-Hydrating Cherry Lip Balm, complete with Rih's take on film noir femme fatale hair.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 29 Feb. 2024
Ferrell voices Gru’s new nemesis Maxime Le Mal, while Vergara plays Maxime’s femme fatale girlfriend Valentina.
—Valerie Wu, Variety, 28 Jan. 2024
Kara Nesvig, Allure, 25 Mar. 2024
Sleeping Dogs plays with the tropes of the femme fatale through Baines, although Gillan hesitates to use that description for her.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Mar. 2024
The perfect vehicle for Halle Berry's sultry-sweet charisma, Ginger's less femme fatale than femme mystérieuse.
—Ew Staff Updated, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2024
Turns out a femme fatale has been poisoning and plotting for their end all along.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 29 Feb. 2024
When her new husband's ex-wife dies, Laurie is painted as a femme fatale and convicted of murder.
—Journal Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2024
Nigerian actress Temi Otedola oozed the mystery of a film noir femme fatale in a floor-length black coat, tightly cinched with the lacy hint of a negligee peeking out beneath.
—Ian Malone, Vogue, 4 Mar. 2024
Rihanna and her partner A$AP Rocky put their twist on the popular ‘40s genre to promote Fenty Beauty’s Lux Balm Ultra-Hydrating Cherry Lip Balm, complete with Rih's take on film noir femme fatale hair.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 29 Feb. 2024
Ferrell voices Gru’s new nemesis Maxime Le Mal, while Vergara plays Maxime’s femme fatale girlfriend Valentina.
—Valerie Wu, Variety, 28 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'femme fatale.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
French, literally, disastrous woman
First Known Use
1879, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near femme fatale
Cite this Entry
“Femme fatale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/femme%20fatale. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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