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 literary or historical contexts. The variant 傾国傾城 is also common.
See also: 傾国傾城
She bewitched the men around her like a femme fatale of legend.
General term for a beautiful woman, without the destructive connotation.
From Chinese classical literature, combining 傾城 (to cause the fall of a castle) and 傾国 (to cause the fall of a country), referring to a woman whose beauty leads to ruin.