By introducing an oleyl group at the end of the straight rodlike molecule, the effect of the tail shape on the liquid crystallinity, biaxiality, and lateral switching behavior of the smectic A phase was investigated. Three types of molecules possessing a fluorinated phenyl (pentafluorophenyl, 2,3,4-trifluorophenyl, or 2,3-difluorophenyl) group and a cis-octadec-9-enyl group were synthesized, and their liquid crystallinities were compared with the corresponding molecules with a straight alkyl (trans-octadec-9-enyl or n-octadecanyl) group. In switching experiments, the molecules with a bent terminal chain showed higher spontaneous polarization (P s) values than those with a straight terminal chain. Further, the directional changes of the long molecular axes were suppressed for the molecules possessing a bent terminal chain. These results show that the introduction of a bent terminal chain is highly effective for stabilizing ferroelectric switching behaviors.