Sirens

Cultural  

1. In classical mythology, evil creatures who lived on a rocky island, singing in beautiful voices in an effort to lure sailors to shipwreck and death. Odysseus ordered his crew to plug their ears to escape the Sirens' fatal song.

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Figuratively, a “siren” is a beautiful or tempting woman; a “siren song” is any irresistible distraction.

Example Sentences

Sirens blared, horns honked, and church bells pealed.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

As Odysseus and his ship were sailing by the Sirens, he knew the Sirens’ song would be irresistible and — if he didn’t resist its allure — fatal.

From MarketWatch • May 2, 2026

Sirens blared along Ramona Boulevard in Baldwin Park as police officers from throughout the region gathered Friday to mourn one of their own.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2025

The title of "Sirens" refers to Devon and Simone's version of an SOS and, of course, it also evokes the mythical figures famous for luring sailors to their deaths with their otherworldly voices.

From Salon • Jun. 5, 2025

We stayed underwater, following the ship, until I judged we had moved out of earshot of the Sirens.

From "The Sea of Monsters" by Rick Riordan