adventuress

American  

[ad-ven-cher-is] / ædˈvɛn tʃər ɪs /

noun

1. a woman who schemes to win social position, wealth, etc., by unscrupulous or questionable means.

2. a woman who is an adventurer.

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adventuress British  

/ ədˈvɛntʃərɪs /

noun

1. a woman who seeks adventure, esp one who seeks success or money through daring exploits

2. a woman who seeks money or power by unscrupulous means

3. a speculator

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Gender

What's the difference between adventuress and adventurer? See -ess.

Etymology

Origin of adventuress

First recorded in 1745–55; adventur(er) + -ess

Example Sentences

But, paradoxically, the seasoned adventuress feared becoming lost in the metropolis and got her bearings by imagining skyscrapers as summits along a trail.

From New York Times

For Nick’s mother, it’s a fortress built to repel alien invaders like Rachel, who, in Eleanor’s eyes, is a Chinese-American adventuress and insufficiently Chinese.

From The Wall Street Journal

Babitz says, “I think I’m going to be an adventuress. Is that all right?”

From New York Times

Authorities wanted to cleanse the great writer’s reputation by blaming a sinful “adventuress” for the politically embarrassing “Doctor Zhivago.”

From New York Times

And she didn’t care if she had been an “adventuress” seeking a wealthy husband.

From New York Times