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

In their ninth crime-solving tale, the Victorian-era adventuress and butterfly hunter Veronica Speedwell and her partner discover that a wax mannequin is actually a dead young woman, expertly preserved.

From New York Times • Mar. 28, 2024

"From the outset, Camilla was suspicious about the adventuress from Los Angeles," he claimed to the outlet.

From Fox News • Feb. 14, 2022

Moana even had its Polynesian princess, a naval adventuress, attempt to renounce her royal status, Simba-style.

From Slate • Nov. 16, 2018

Although Maria’s two older sisters and younger brother have seats on the board, Maria, a writer and self-described adventuress and explorer, has the final word.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2016

Now the two letters are so different that in one she appears to be a low-lived adventuress, and in the other a noble woman, deceived through what is noblest in her.

From Essays on Modern Novelists by Phelps, William Lyon