femme
femme — adjective
1. describes a gay woman whose personal style, clothing, and behaviour reflect what
describes a gay woman whose personal style, clothing, and behaviour reflect what her culture traditionally considers feminine
Sayaka describes herself as a femme lesbian who enjoys wearing dresses and makeup.
describes oneself as + adjective identity label
The dating app let Nia choose between butch, femme, and other identity options.
contrasted with butch; used in selection settings
At the pride parade, the couple's femme and butch styles were both visible.
Megan's femme appearance does not make her any less committed to queer activism.
Amihan wore a floral dress to a party; a colleague praised her femme look.
- feminine
General term for female-associated traits; lacks the LGBTQ+ community-specific meaning of 'femme'
- lipstick lesbian
More mainstream term focused on feminine appearance; not tied to butch-femme subculture
- butch
Describes a lesbian who presents in a masculine-coded way; the traditional counterpart to femme within LGBTQ+ communities
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively to describe a lesbian or queer woman, not a heterosexual woman. Often paired with the contrasting term 'butch'.
常見錯誤
femme — noun
1. a gay woman whose appearance, dress, and behaviour fit traditional standards of
a gay woman whose appearance, dress, and behaviour fit traditional standards of femininity; within LGBTQ+ communities the word often serves as a positive chosen identity label
Lien is a femme who works as a nurse and wears bright red lipstick.
a femme who [does X] — noun use with relative clause
The centre holds a monthly discussion group for femmes and butches.
plural: femmes; paired with butches
Walking into the bar, Tamás noticed a group of femmes laughing by the window.
Older lesbians say the word 'femme' helped them name their identity decades ago.
- feminine lesbian
Neutral descriptive phrase; less culturally specific than 'femme'
- lipstick lesbian
Focuses on outward appearance with makeup and fashion; wider mainstream recognition but less historical depth
- butch
A lesbian who presents in a masculine or androgynous way; the traditional partner identity in butch-femme culture
用法筆記
Functions as a self-identifier within LGBTQ+ communities — most users see it as a positive label, though some prefer not to be categorised by appearance.