seductress means A woman skilled in and practiced at seduction. It carries an Arena rating of 1585, earned across 9 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, seductress ranks #3,763 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #5,057 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #5,704 of 17,131 for Scariest Words, #6,956 of 17,127 for Most Vivid Words.
seductress is pronounced /sɪˈdʌktɹɛs/.
Why “seductress” is a great word
A woman who entices someone, typically a man, into sexual activity or wrongdoing. From obsolete English 'seductor' (a male seducer, from Late Latin 'seductor', from Latin 'seducere', meaning 'to lead astray') + the feminine suffix '-ess'. Unlike a 'vamp,' which suggests theatrical, predatory aggression, or a 'femme fatale,' a narrative archetype of fatal mystery, a seductress operates in the general realm of persuasion and subtle, consequential allure. She is the hand on a knee beneath a dinner table, the deliberate brush of a fingertip along a wineglass rim, the whisper meant for one ear alone—her quiet art is the meticulous unspooling of a willing transgression.
Etymology
From seductor + -ess.
noun
- A woman skilled in and practiced at seduction.e.g.“The sirens were seductresses who lured many sailors to their doom.”
- A woman who seduces.e.g.“Even though she didn't think of herself as a seductress, her effect on men showed she was one.”
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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