noun

deathtrap

DEHTHT-rap

noun

A building, vehicle, or structure so unsafe that it could easily kill someone.

"The old fire escape was a deathtrap, rusted through in three places."

"Inspectors condemned the factory as a deathtrap after the wiring fault."

In fiction, an elaborate trap a villain sets to kill the hero rather than simply finishing them off quickly.

"The spy escaped the deathtrap seconds before the room flooded."

How to Use Deathtrap

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishSomething extremely dangerous — a building, vehicle, or situation likely to kill someone.

Common pairings

a total deathtrap call something a deathtrap

deathtraps plural

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Can you complete this real example?

The old fire escape was a _____, rusted through in three places.

A straightforward compound of "death" + "trap" — a trap that leads to death.