femme fatale; woman whose beauty brings ruin
A yojijukugo describing a woman so captivating that she causes the downfall of a ruler or country. Often used in historical or literary contexts. The variant 傾城傾国 is also common.
See also: 傾城傾国
She was called a femme fatale, a beauty who could bring down a kingdom.
Derived from classical Chinese literature, where the beauty of a woman was said to be capable of toppling a city (傾城) or a state (傾国). The phrase is a yojijukugo combining these two concepts.