fire trap

IPA/ˈfaɪə træp/
IPA/ˈfaɪər træp/

fire trap — noun

1. a building where, if a fire breaks out, people inside cannot escape easily — typ

1.nounC1
Definition

a building where, if a fire breaks out, people inside cannot escape easily — typically because exits are blocked, locked, too narrow, or made of materials that burn quickly

Example

After the inspection, the fire chief labelled the basement club a fire trap and closed it.

label + noun + a fire trap (verdict pattern)

Hana told the housing inspector her apartment block was a fire trap with no alarms.

collocation: be a fire trap

Common collocations
  • be a fire trap
  • declare something a fire trap
  • label something a fire trap
  • call something a fire trap
  • brand something a fire trap
  • condemn something as a fire trap
  • turn into a fire trap
Synonyms
  • death trap

    broader — any dangerously unsafe place, not only from fire

  • fire hazard

    focuses on the risk of fire starting, not on difficulty escaping

  • tinderbox

    emphasises how explosively fast a fire can spread through a place

Grammar Patterns

be + a + fire trap

call/label/brand/declare + noun + a fire trap

Usage Note

Typically used of public or commercial buildings — hotels, factories, nightclubs, dormitories — rather than private houses. Calling a place a fire trap carries a strong judgement, implying that whoever owns or runs it has failed to keep people safe.

Common Mistakes

That pile of old curtains is a fire trap.
That pile of old curtains is a fire hazard.
A 'fire trap' is a whole building where people cannot escape; 'fire hazard' refers to anything that could start or spread a fire.

Word family

  • firetrap
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three words describe dangerous situations, but they differ in scope and what they highlight. A 'fire trap' is specifically a building where escape is nearly impossible once a fire starts — the problem is the structure itself. A 'death trap' is broader: it can describe any unsafe place, vehicle, or situation, not only fire-related ones (a crumbling bridge, a faulty roller coaster). A 'fire hazard' shifts the focus to what causes a fire — oily rags, overloaded sockets, dry brush — without saying anything about whether people can get out. A 'tinderbox' is vivid and dramatic, stressing how fast flames can spread through a place; it is often used figuratively too (a political tinderbox). Only 'fire trap' combines the ideas of fire danger and physical entrapment in one word.

death trap ↗fire hazardtinderbox ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • be a fire trap
  • declared a fire trap
  • labelled a fire trap
  • branded a fire trap
  • condemned as a fire trap

Prepositions

  • in a fire trap
  • out of a fire trap

Etymology

Old EnglishOld EnglishAmerican English

The compound 'fire trap' appeared in American English during the late 19th century, a period of rapid industrialisation and urban crowding. Tenement buildings and factories with few exits led to notorious fires in which dozens of people died trapped inside — and journalists and reformers began using 'fire trap' to name the problem. The word joins 'fire' (from Old English 'fȳr', Germanic origin) with 'trap' (from Old English 'træppe', meaning a snare or pitfall). The image is stark: a building that snares its occupants when a fire takes hold.