temptress

noun

tempt·​ress ˈtem(p)-trəs How to pronounce temptress (audio)
: a woman who tempts or entices

Examples of temptress in a Sentence

Greta Garbo, one of the most famous temptresses ever to appear on screen, died in 1990.
Recent Examples on the Web Into this solution enters a temptress, Tardigrade (contralto Cecelia McKinley), the last of her kind, who threatens their budding love by luring one of the polyfluoroalkyl substances into a crater of liquid mercury. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 21 Jan. 2024 The Eve of biblical legend was a temptress, thus initiating a lamentable theme in the history of sexism. Stephen Jay Gould, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019 That movie, now rightly recognized as a masterpiece, had a famously rocky landing here in 2013, at Telluride’s 40th-anniversary edition, where audiences didn’t exactly warm to the disturbing, plot-free spectacle of Scarlett Johansson as an alien temptress sucking men’s bodies dry. Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2023 Inspired by Cleopatra the temptress, this floral, sweet scent blends orchid, amber, vanilla, and musk. April Benshosan, womenshealthmag.com, 4 June 2023 Nature's Bounty Horny Goat Weed w/Maca Unleash your inner temptress with Nature's Bounty Horny Goat Weed w/Maca! Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 8 Mar. 2023 The Russian temptress, who often placed her victims in restraints, suddenly found herself in handcuffs. Peter Van Sant july 7, CBS News, 7 July 2018 The look gets its name from the sultry, mysterious vibe that a temptress would have. Lisa Desantis, Glamour, 7 Mar. 2023 Skarsgaard can portray wide-eyed innocence and dead-eyed menace equally well, and has ample opportunity to do both, while scream queen Goth gives another raucous turn as a temptress without morals. Thomas Page, CNN, 27 Jan. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'temptress.' 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

tempter + -ess

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of temptress was in 1594

Dictionary Entries Near temptress

Cite this Entry

“Temptress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/temptress. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

temptress

noun
tempt·​ress ˈtem(p)-trəs How to pronounce temptress (audio)
: a woman who tempts

More from Merriam-Webster on temptress

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!