Meaning & use
fireproof
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivenot comparable
Made or treated so that fire cannot burn or damage it.
Grammar: Usually not compared; say 'more fireproof' only when comparing treatments, not 'fireproofer'.
Patterns
- fireproof material
- make something fireproof
- fireproof safe
The curtains are made of fireproof material.
Keep your passport in a fireproof safe.
All the documents were stored in a fireproof cabinet.
verbtransitive
To treat a material or object so that it resists fire.
Grammar: Takes an object: fireproof the tent. Often used in the passive: the wood was fireproofed.
Patterns
- fireproof something
- be fireproofed
They fireproofed the wooden roof before the dry season.
The fabric is fireproofed during production.
Workers fireproof the stage curtains every year.
Word forms
| third person singular | fireproofs |
|---|---|
| past tense | fireproofed |
| past participle | fireproofed |
| -ing form | fireproofing |
Common combinations
- fireproof material
- The walls are covered with fireproof material.
- fireproof safe
- She keeps her jewelry in a fireproof safe.
- make something fireproof
- A special coating makes the wood fireproof.
- fireproof clothing
- Firefighters wear fireproof clothing.
Synonyms and how they differ
- flameproof
- Flameproof is close in meaning but often used for materials that resist flames for a short time, while fireproof suggests stronger protection.
- fire-resistant
- Fire-resistant means it resists fire but may still be damaged; fireproof suggests it cannot burn at all.
Opposites
Word family
- fireproofing noun
- The process or material used to make something resist fire.
Commonly confused: fireproof or foolproof?
fireproof vs foolproof
Foolproof means so simple that no one can make a mistake; fireproof means protected against fire.
Practice
Choose the best sentence.
Choose one answer.
Fireproof describes something that resists fire, so a box keeping papers safe from flames fits. Option 2 contradicts the meaning, option 3 uses the verb with a food that cannot be fireproofed, and option 4 applies it to a living animal in a nonsense way.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “fireproof”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.