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

“It’s a film noir that is also starring cartoon characters, and it’s got this collision of tones,” Green says of Zemeckis’ landmark, a movie that somehow bridges bonk-on-the-head mania with a voluptuous femme fatale.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 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

Will you be surprised to learn he carries with him a dark secret, or that his estranged wife, as opposed to the radiant daughter of the boat’s skipper, is one doozy of a femme fatale?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 21, 2026

Ultimately, the French femme fatale catches her attention for other reasons.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2025

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

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

Related Words

• courtesan
• temptress
• vamp