WordDisk
  • Reading
    • Shortcuts
      •   Home
      •   All Articles
      •   Read from Another Site
      Sources
      • Wikipedia
      • Simple Wikipedia
      • VOA Learning English
      • Futurity
      • The Conversation
      • MIT News
      • Harvard Gazette
      • Cambridge News
      • YDS/YÖKDİL Passages
      Topics
      • Technology
      • Engineering
      • Business
      • Economics
      • Human
      • Health
      • Energy
      • Biology
      • Nature
      • Space
  •  Log in
  •  Sign up
4.83
History
Add

catch verb [ katʃ ]

• intercept and hold (something which has been thrown, propelled, or dropped).
• "she threw the bottle into the air and caught it again"
Similar: seize, grab, snatch, seize/grab/take hold of, lay (one's) hands on, get one's hands on, grasp, grip, clutch, clench, fasten on, pluck, hold, hang on to, receive, acquire, get, come into possession of, intercept,
Opposite: drop,
• capture (a person or animal that tries or would try to escape).
• "we hadn't caught a single rabbit"
Similar: capture, seize, apprehend, take, arrest, lay hold of, take prisoner, take captive, take into custody, haul in, trap, snare, ensnare, net, hook, reel in, land, beach, bag, nab, collar, run in, bust, pull in, do, feel someone's collar, pinch, nick,
Opposite: release,
• (of an object) accidentally become entangled or trapped in something.
• "a button caught in her hair"
• reach in time and board (a train, bus, or aircraft).
• "they caught the 12.15 from Oxford"
Similar: be in time for, reach in time, make, get to, board, get on, enter, go on board, go aboard, step aboard, mount, ascend, embark, hop on, jump on, embus, entrain, emplane,
Opposite: miss, alight,
• engage (a person's interest or imagination).
• "it was the business scheme that had caught his imagination"
Similar: engage, capture, attract, draw, gain, grab, arrest, seize, hold, win, absorb, engross, rivet, grip, captivate, bewitch,
• strike (someone) on a part of the body.
• "Ben caught him on the chin with an uppercut"
Similar: hit, strike, slap, smack, crack, bang, connect with, contact,
Opposite: miss,
• contract (an illness) through infection or contagion.
• "he served in Macedonia, where he caught malaria"
Similar: become infected with, contract, get, take, become ill/sick with, fall ill/sick with, be taken ill with, show symptoms of, succumb to, develop, go/come down with, sicken for, fall victim to, be struck down with, be stricken with, go down with, take ill with, take sick with,
Opposite: shake off, escape,
• become ignited and start burning.
• "the rafters have caught"
Similar: ignite, become ignited, burn, start burning, flame, catch/take fire, burst into flames, flame up, kindle,
Opposite: go out,

catch noun

• an act of catching something, typically a ball.
• a game in which a ball is thrown back and forth between two or more players.
• a device for securing something such as a door, window, or box.
• "the window catch was rusty"
Similar: latch, lock, fastener, fastening, clasp, hasp, hook, bar, clip, bolt, sneck, snib,
• a hidden problem or disadvantage in an apparently ideal situation.
• "there's a catch in it somewhere"
Similar: snag, disadvantage, drawback, stumbling block, hitch, fly in the ointment, joker in the pack, pitfall, complication, problem, hiccup, hindrance, difficulty, setback, hurdle, downside, minus, trap, trick, snare, wile, dodge, disbenefit, ploy, con,
• an unevenness in a person's voice caused by emotion.
• "there was a catch in Anne's voice"
Similar: tremor, unevenness, shake, shakiness, quiver, quivering, wobble,
• a round, typically one with words arranged to produce a humorous effect.
Origin: Middle English (also in the sense ‘chase’): from Anglo-Norman French and Old Northern French cachier, variant of Old French chacier, based on Latin captare ‘try to catch’, from capere ‘take’.

catch someone's eye

• be noticed by someone.
"a vase on a side table caught his eye"

catch it

• be punished or told off.
"I'll catch it if he finds me here"

catch the light

• shine or glint in the light.
"small gold hoop earrings caught the light as she turned her head"

catch the sun

• be in a sunny position.
"a glassed-in porch that caught the sun"

you wouldn't catch — doing something

• used to indicate that there is no possibility of the person mentioned doing what is specified.
"you wouldn't catch me walking back to the house alone at night"

catch on

• (of a practice or fashion) become popular.
"the idea of linking pay to performance has caught on"

catch out

• detect that someone has done something wrong or made a mistake.
"his tone suggested he'd caught her out in some misdemeanour"

catch up

• succeed in reaching a person who is ahead of one.
"he stopped and waited for Lily to catch up"

catch up with

• begin to have a damaging effect on someone.
"the physical exertions began to catch up with Sue"



2025 WordDisk