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fire walker

fire walker

7.9
A person who walks barefoot over hot coals to show courage or take part in a ritual
  • noun
  • /ˈfaɪər ˈwɔːkər/
translation icon : caminante del fuego
  • She trained for weeks before becoming a skilled fire walker at the local festival.

Examples

  • A fire walker demonstrated their skills at the festival.

  • Many cultures view the fire walker as a symbol of bravery and resilience.

  • The crowd watched in awe as the fire walker calmly crossed the bed of hot coals.

  • Many fire walkers participated in the charity event.

  • During the festival, a skilled fire walker confidently walked over glowing coals, thrilling the audience.

  • At the cultural event, the fire walker performed a breathtaking act, showcasing his bravery by stepping on burning embers.

  • Onlookers gathered to watch the fire walker demonstrate his incredible ability to walk across fiery coals without injury.

Antonyms

coward
  • Offensive
584 2.3

A person who is too afraid to face danger or hard things

How Courageous

hero
1.1
daredevil
26 6.1
fire walker
7.9
adventurer
50 4.2
participant
295 2.4
bystander
84 3.4

Surface Forms

fire walker singular
fire walkers plural

Morphology

fire + walker

The compound combines 'fire' (burning flame) + 'walker' (a person who walks) in a straightforward agent + activity pattern, so its meaning — a person who walks through or over fire — is directly inferable from the parts. This compositional pattern (X‑walker = a person who walks X) is common and cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand the MWE.

Etymology

Fire walker comes from the real picture of a fire and a walker: someone walking barefoot over hot coals in a show or ritual to prove strength. That strong image explains why a fire walker is seen as a symbol of 'bravery' or calm under pressure.