trap
verb/træp/
/træp/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they trap | /træp/ /træp/ |
| he / she / it traps | /træps/ /træps/ |
| past simple trapped | /træpt/ /træpt/ |
| past participle trapped | /træpt/ /træpt/ |
| -ing form trapping | /ˈtræpɪŋ/ /ˈtræpɪŋ/ |
- [usually passive] to put somebody in a dangerous place that they cannot get out of
- be trapped Help! I'm trapped!
- be trapped by something We became trapped by the rising floodwater.
- be trapped + adv./prep. They were trapped in the burning building.
- [usually passive] to keep somebody in a bad situation that they want to get out of but cannot
- be trapped + adv./prep. He was trapped in an unhappy marriage.
- I feel trapped in my job.
- trap something (+ adv./prep.) to have part of your body, your clothing, etc. held in a place so tightly that you cannot remove it and it may be injured or damaged
- I trapped my coat in the car door.
- The pain was caused by a trapped nerve.
- trap somebody/something (+ adv./prep.) to force somebody/something into a place or situation that they cannot escape from, especially in order to catch them
- The escaped prisoners were eventually trapped in an underground garage and recaptured.
- Police believe the fingerprints could help trap the killer.
- trap something to catch an animal in a trap
- Raccoons used to be trapped for their fur.
- trap something to catch or keep something in a place and prevent it from escaping, especially so that you can use it
- Solar panels trap energy from the sun.
- trap somebody (into something/into doing something) to trick somebody into something
- He felt he had been trapped into accepting the terms of the contract.
- The police managed to trap him into revealing his true identity.
in dangerous/bad situation
part of body/clothing
catch
trick
Word OriginOld English træppe (in coltetræppe ‘Christ's thorn’); related to Middle Dutch trappe and medieval Latin trappa, of uncertain origin. The verb dates from late Middle English.
Check pronunciation:
trap