Use temptress with care because it is gendered and often accusatory. In neutral prose, seducer, tempter, or a more specific description may be fairer.
Use temptress with care because it is gendered and often accusatory. In neutral prose, seducer, tempter, or a more specific description may be fairer.
She temptressed him wrongly treats temptress as a verb, and temptation names the lure or feeling rather than the woman portrayed as luring someone.
Recorded from the late 1500s, from tempter plus the feminine suffix -ess. Tempter goes back through French and Latin forms tied to tempting, testing, and enticing.
What does temptress mean?
It means a woman who is portrayed as tempting or enticing someone, often sexually or morally.
Is temptress a neutral word?
Not always. Temptress often carries judgement, especially when it suggests that a woman is dangerous or manipulative.
Can temptress describe a thing?
Yes, but usually as personification, as in a poem or story where adventure, fame, or power acts like a temptress.
What is the plural of temptress?
The plural is temptresses.
What is the difference between temptress and temptation?
A temptress is the person or personified lure, while temptation is the lure, desire, or act of being tempted.
Where does temptress come from?
It was formed from tempter plus the feminine suffix -ess, and is recorded from the late 1500s.