debt trap

noun

A situation in which a borrower's debt obligations exceed their repayment capabilities, compelling to them to incur new debt to repay existing ones.

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Meanings

noundebt trap (plural debt traps)

plural debt traps

  1. abstractA situation in which a borrower's debt obligations exceed their repayment capabilities, compelling to them to incur new debt to repay existing ones.

Origin

From debt + trap.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

German Schuldenfalle
  • Schuldenfallea situation in which a borrower's debt obligations exceed their repayment capabilities
Swedish skuldfälla
  • skuldfällaa situation in which a borrower's debt obligations exceed their repayment capabilities
Vietnamese bẫy nợ
  • bẫy nợa situation in which a borrower's debt obligations exceed their repayment capabilities
Cite this entry
APA

debt trap. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/debt%20trap

MLA

“debt trap.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/debt%20trap. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “debt trap,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/debt%20trap.

Source: debt trap on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.