Jezebel

American  

[jez-uh-bel, -buhl] / ˈdʒɛz əˌbɛl, -bəl /

noun

1. Also Jezabel (in the Bible) the wife of Ahab, king of ancient Israel.

2. Often jezebel a wicked, shameless woman.

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Jezebel British  

/ ˈdʒɛzəˌbɛl, -bəl /

noun

1. Old Testament the wife of Ahab, king of Israel: she fostered the worship of Baal and tried to destroy the prophets of Israel (I Kings 18:4–13); she was killed by Jehu (II Kings 9:29–37)

2. (sometimes not capital) a shameless or scheming woman

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Jezebel Cultural  

1. In the Old Testament, an immoral, cruel queen of Israel who attempted to kill Elijah and other prophets of God.

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Discover More

A “jezebel” is a scheming and shamelessly evil woman.

Other Word Forms

• Jezebelian adjective
• Jezebelish adjective

Etymology

Origin of Jezebel

First recorded in 1550–60 Jezebel for def. 2; from Hebrew Izebhel, of uncertain origin and meaning, -zebhel perhaps representing the divine title “prince”

Example Sentences

West, one of the grande dames of the movement, got her start at Seattle alt-weekly the Stranger and spent years excoriating fatphobia, online misogyny, and male entitlement for the ur-millennial-feminist site Jezebel.

From Slate • Mar. 31, 2026

One is Lindy West’s 2013 Jezebel piece she wrote in the wake of debating Jim Norton concerning comedy’s role in perpetuating rape culture on the canceled FX series “Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell.”

From Salon • Aug. 10, 2024

In recent years, the company sold off Jezebel, Lifehacker, Deadspin and the A.V.

From New York Times • Apr. 25, 2024

Pitchfork announced it was no longer a freestanding music site, after digital publications BuzzFeed News and Jezebel disappeared last year.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 1, 2024

“First things first. Y’all two need to look out for each other when you’re working roots. Don’t let Jezebel go off by herself, Jay.”

From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce