femme fatale

American  

[fem fuh-tal, -tahl, fey-, fam fa-tal] / ˌfɛm fəˈtæl, -ˈtɑl, feɪ-, fam faˈtal /

noun

• femmes fatales
  plural

1. an irresistibly attractive woman, especially one who leads men into difficult, dangerous, or disastrous situations; siren.

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femme fatale British  

/ ˈfɛm fəˈtæl, fam fatal, -ˈtɑːl /

noun

1. an alluring or seductive woman, esp one who causes men to love her to their own distress

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• femmes fatales
  plural

Etymology

Origin of femme fatale

< French: literally, fatal woman

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

femme fatale

The unifying archetype of the femme fatale, however, elevated Laferte’s songbook to a new level of cinematic noir.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

That attitude, he says, is most notable in his scenes with Li Jun Li, whose femme fatale character Felicia “Cat” Hardy, a nightclub singer, knows more than she wants to reveal.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2026

Ploughing a similar furrow is Israel's Noam Bettan, whose heart has been shredded by a femme fatale called Michelle.

From BBC ● May 8, 2026

But facts were easily eclipsed by lurid speculation, particularly when Short’s nickname was made public: The Black Dahlia was, after all, the perfect moniker for a femme fatale.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026

The femme fatale must be back, Veronica Lake slinks again.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

Related Words

• courtesan
• temptress
• vamp