painted Jezebel

noun

A Jezebel; an evil, scheming, shameless or immoral woman, especially one who uses physical attractiveness to evil ends.

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Meanings

nounpainted Jezebel (plural painted Jezebels)

plural painted Jezebels

  1. derogatoryobsoleteA Jezebel; an evil, scheming, shameless or immoral woman, especially one who uses physical attractiveness to evil ends.

    [I]n her absence Olive might give any version of her she chose. "I have told him you are a radical, and you may tell him, if you like, that I am a painted Jezebel."

    1885–1886, Henry James, The Bostonians […], London; New York, N.Y.: Macmillan and Co., published 16 February 1886, →OCLC
  2. Delias hyparete, a species of butterfly of the family Pieridae.

Origin

From Jezebel, the Phoenician princess and Queen of Ancient Israel who appears in the Old Testament (1 Kings). She incited heresy and lured the Jews away from their God and back to idols. Before her death, knowing that she was soon to be slain, she took the time to fix her hair and paint her face. From the 16th century, some people believed that makeup was worn only by immoral women; hence the wearing of makeup implied immorality.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

painted Jezebel. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/painted%20Jezebel

MLA

“painted Jezebel.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/painted%20Jezebel. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “painted Jezebel,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/painted%20Jezebel.

Source: painted Jezebel on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.