chanteuse
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of chanteuse
Explanation
A chanteuse is a singer, especially a woman who performs in a nightclub. The femme fatale in an old black and white movie is often a chanteuse. While the chanteuse became a stock character in the film noir genre — a woman singing sultry songs in a smoky nightclub or cabaret — the word simply means "female singer" in French. It is derived from the verb chanter, "to sing." Edith Piaf is France's most famous chanteuse, a singer of popular songs who began her career in Parisian cabarets. You can use this word for contemporary singers too: "Taylor Swift is my favorite chanteuse."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Billy Idol, chanteuse Sade, metal legends Iron Maiden and Manchester outfits Joy Division and New Order were also honored, along with hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan and velvet-voiced crooner Luther Vandross.
From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026
Tilly Norwood, the AI-created aspiring actress, is pursuing a second career as a chanteuse.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026
Barabak: The criticism of this collective field is that it’s terminally boring, as if we’re looking to elect a stand-up comic, a chanteuse or a juggler.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 8, 2026
And she made a good point: It’s strange to be slurping noodles while a chanteuse sings her heart out.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 12, 2024
"I saw The Phantom of the Opera last summer. There was a wonderful chanteuse in that show."
From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
