What does coquette mean?
A coquette is a woman who habitually flirts — charming admirers, inviting attention, and encouraging romantic interest without intending to follow through. The word entered English from French in the seventeenth century, derived ultimately from the notion of strutting like a rooster, and quickly became a fixture of novels, plays, and social commentary about women who toyed with suitors. Historically the label carried a sharp moral edge, implying vanity, manipulation, or heartlessness; today that judgment has softened, and the word is used more often in literary, historical, or ironic contexts than as a live insult. It also survives as a verb meaning to flirt in this coy, non-committal way, and its abstract relative, coquetry, names the art itself. In the 2020s, 'coquette' gained unexpected currency as the name of a hyper-feminine internet fashion aesthetic built around ribbons, bows, lace, and vintage romance — a striking afterlife for a word once aimed at society's most notorious flirts.
A woman who flirts with men, attracting their admiration and attention without serious romantic intent.
"The novel's heroine was a practiced coquette, leaving a trail of hopeful suitors behind her."
Now somewhat dated and literary; connotation ranges from playfully teasing to disapprovingly manipulative depending on context.
(dated) To behave as a coquette; to engage in coy, non-committal flirtation.
"She coquetted with the idea of marriage for years before refusing him outright."
Rare in contemporary usage; found mainly in older literature.
Standard pluralization; used when referring to several such women collectively.
"The salon was full of coquettes competing for the duke's attention."
Centuries after it entered English from France, 'coquette' found an unlikely second life as the name of a ribbon-and-bows internet fashion trend beloved by Gen Z.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of coquette
The word comes from the French coquette, the feminine form of coquet, meaning amorous or flirtatious, adopted into English during the seventeenth century. Its deeper origin is uncertain, though it is often linked to the French coq (rooster), evoking the strutting self-display associated with courtship. The related forms coquet, coquettish, and coquetry all derive directly from the same French source rather than from separate roots.
Related word forms
How coquette is actually used
The word is now somewhat literary and dated, carrying a mildly disapproving or old-fashioned connotation when applied to real people; modern usage is more likely to be ironic, historical, or fashion-related (as in the recent 'coquette aesthetic'). The verb form is rarer and chiefly historical.
Easily confused with coquette
A cocotte is a French term for a prostitute or kept woman, whereas a coquette is merely a flirt who does not necessarily trade on sex.
Coquetry is the abstract noun denoting the practice or art of flirting itself, while a coquette is the person who engages in it.