Standard Lemma guide

temptress

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈtɛmp.tɹɛs/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: T EH1 M P T R IH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An alluring woman who seduces or exploits men.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A woman considered sexually attractive by men.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Marilyn Monroe, the iconic temptress of the 20th century.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a woman who is considered to be dangerously seductive

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: enchantress, siren, Delilah, femme fatale

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: woman, adult female

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English tempter Late Latin -issader. Old French -essebor. Middle English -esse English -ess English temptress From tempter + -ess.

Across languages

Translations

16 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: svůdkyně — An alluring woman who seduces or exploits men
  • Czech: pokušitelka — An alluring woman who seduces or exploits men
  • Finnish: viettelijätär — An alluring woman who seduces or exploits men
  • French: tentatrice — An alluring woman who seduces or exploits men
  • French: séductrice — An alluring woman who seduces or exploits men
  • German: Verführerin — An alluring woman who seduces or exploits men
  • Greek: ξελογιάστρα (xelogiástra) — An alluring woman who seduces or exploits men
  • Japanese: 魔性の女 (mashou no onna) — An alluring woman who seduces or exploits men
  • Macedonian: заводница (zavodnica) — An alluring woman who seduces or exploits men
  • Polish: uwodzicielka — An alluring woman who seduces or exploits men
  • Russian: соблазни́тельница (soblaznítelʹnica) — An alluring woman who seduces or exploits men
  • Russian: обольсти́тельница (obolʹstítelʹnica) — An alluring woman who seduces or exploits men
  • Serbo-Croatian: заводница — An alluring woman who seduces or exploits men
  • Serbo-Croatian: zavodnica — An alluring woman who seduces or exploits men
  • Czech: svůdnice — A woman considered sexually attractive by men
  • Finnish: viettelijätär — A woman considered sexually attractive by men