Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

femme fatale

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

noun

plural

femmes fatales

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

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of femme fatale

< French: literally, fatal woman

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.

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

Was I acting like a male or femme fatale?

From Seattle Times • Aug. 4, 2023

Ava Gardner, a classic Hollywood femme fatale who was once voted the world’s most beautiful woman, may have been more famous for her off-screen drama than for her on-screen performances.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2023

I think of your femme fatale in "Farewell, My Lovely."

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2023

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

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

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.