1 catch
Pronounced:
/ˈkætʃ, ˈkɛtʃ/
Function:
verbInflected forms:
catch·es; caught /ˈkɑ:t/ catch·ing Meaning:
1 a : to use your hands to stop and hold (an object that is moving through the air) [+ obj] ▪ Catch the ball and throw it to first base. ▪ She caught the ball with one hand. ▪ I dropped the book but managed to catch it before it hit the ground. [no obj] ▪ I'll throw you the keys. Ready? Catch! b [+ obj] : to use your hands to grasp and hold onto (someone or something) ▪ He caught [=grabbed, seized] her by the wrist. ▪ He caught hold of her wrist.
2 [+ obj] : to capture and not allow (a person, animal, or fish) to escape ▪ The police are working hard to catch the criminals and put them in jail. ▪ “I bet you can't catch me!” she yelled to her brother. ▪ I once caught 10 fish in a single day. ▪ In the summer, we would catch fireflies and put them in jars. ▪ catching mice in traps ▪ lions catching their prey
3 [+ obj] a : to manage to find, meet, or reach (someone) at a particular time or in a particular state or condition ▪ I caught her just as she was leaving for work. ▪ I'm afraid you've caught me at a bad time. b : to find (someone who is doing something wrong) ▪ The police caught him trying to steal the painting. ▪ My teacher caught me cheating on a test. ▪ Her father caught her smoking in the basement. ▪ You'd never catch me doing that! [=I would never do that] ▪ They caught him in the act (of stealing the painting). = He was caught red-handed.
4 [+ obj] : to affect (someone) in a sudden and surprising way ▪ They were caught unprepared by the crisis. = The crisis caught them unawares. [=they were not prepared when the crisis occurred] ▪ The announcement caught me by surprise. [=I was surprised by the announcement]
5 [+ obj] a : to suddenly stop (yourself) before you do something ▪ Luckily, he caught himself before he gave away the secret. b : to suddenly become aware that you are doing something ▪ He caught himself staring at her.
6 [+ obj] : to cause (someone) to be stopped, delayed, etc. —usually used as (be/get) caught ▪ We got caught in a rain storm and had to find shelter. ▪ I'm sorry I'm late. I was caught in traffic. ▪ We got caught up in traffic and were late for our flight. —see also caught up in 1 (below)
7 : to cause (something) to become stuck and unable to move [+ obj] ▪ I caught my sleeve on a nail. ▪ The kite got caught [=tangled] in the tree. ▪ She tried to stand up, but her foot was caught in the strap. [no obj] ▪ My sleeve caught on a nail.
8 [no obj] : to have the parts connect firmly ▪ I tried to lock the door, but the lock wouldn't catch.
9 [+ obj] a : to stop and hold (falling water) ▪ They kept a bucket outside to catch the rain. b : to become covered with (something that moves through the air) ▪ These curtains catch a lot of dust.
10 [+ obj] a : to hit or touch (someone or something) ▪ The bullet caught him in the leg. ▪ His last punch caught me in the jaw. ▪ Isn't it beautiful the way the setting sun catches the tips of the trees? b : to be hit or touched by (something) ▪ He caught a bullet in the leg. ▪ The tips of the trees catch the light as the sun sets.
11 [+ obj] : to become affected with (a sickness or disease) ▪ We both caught [=contracted] the flu. ▪ I seem to catch a cold every winter. ▪ children catching colds from each other ◊When people say that you will catch your death (of cold), they mean that you will become sick or catch a very bad cold. ▪ It's freezing! You'll catch your death if you go out without a coat! —see also catching
12 [+ obj] : to begin to feel excitement or interest about something ▪ I haven't caught the holiday spirit yet this year. ▪ People are getting really interested in the sport. The whole country is starting to catch the fever.
13 [+ obj] : to attract and hold (someone's attention, interest, etc.) ▪ I tried to catch the waiter's attention, but I guess he didn't see me. ▪ The show is more likely to catch the interest of an older audience. ▪ Her books have caught the imagination of children from around the world. [=children find her books very exciting and enjoyable] ◊If someone or something catches your eye, you notice that person or thing. ▪ There was one dress in particular that caught my eye. —see also eye-catching
14 [+ obj] : to see, smell, or notice (something) ▪ I caught [=got] a faint whiff of her perfume. ▪ While you're in Hollywood, you might catch a glimpse of some movie stars. ▪ I caught sight of his red shirt and started calling to him.
15 [+ obj] informal : to hear or understand (something) ▪ What was that again? I didn't quite catch [=hear, get] what you said. ▪ I didn't catch your name. ▪ Do you catch my drift? [=do you understand what I mean?]
16 [+ obj] : to become aware of (something, such as an illness) ▪ The disease is curable if caught [=detected] early.
17 [+ obj] : to have or do (something) ▪ You can catch [=take] a quick nap on the train.
18 [+ obj] : to get (something) through effort ▪ I managed to catch [=get] a ride into town with some friends.
19 [+ obj] informal : to meet with (someone) ▪ “See you soon.” “Yup. Catch you later.”
20 [+ obj] : to move fast enough to be next to or in front of (someone) ▪ She caught [=overtook] the leader in the final meters of the race. ▪ He left before I did so I had to hurry to catch him. [=to catch up with him]
21 [+ obj] : to get on a bus, train, etc., before it leaves ▪ If you miss the first bus, you can catch the next one in 15 minutes. ▪ If you'll excuse me, I have a plane to catch.
22 [+ obj] : to see or hear (a show, game, etc.) ▪ I only caught the last few minutes of the game. ▪ Did you catch the show on Channel 4 last night?
23 [+ obj] : to describe or show (someone or something) in an accurate way in art ▪ The new portrait catches her likeness perfectly. ▪ The novel successfully catches the atmosphere of 19th-century Paris.
24 [no obj] baseball : to play the position of catcher ▪ He catches for the New York Yankees. ▪ If you pitch, I'll catch.
2 [+ obj] : to capture and not allow (a person, animal, or fish) to escape ▪ The police are working hard to catch the criminals and put them in jail. ▪ “I bet you can't catch me!” she yelled to her brother. ▪ I once caught 10 fish in a single day. ▪ In the summer, we would catch fireflies and put them in jars. ▪ catching mice in traps ▪ lions catching their prey
3 [+ obj] a : to manage to find, meet, or reach (someone) at a particular time or in a particular state or condition ▪ I caught her just as she was leaving for work. ▪ I'm afraid you've caught me at a bad time. b : to find (someone who is doing something wrong) ▪ The police caught him trying to steal the painting. ▪ My teacher caught me cheating on a test. ▪ Her father caught her smoking in the basement. ▪ You'd never catch me doing that! [=I would never do that] ▪ They caught him in the act (of stealing the painting). = He was caught red-handed.
4 [+ obj] : to affect (someone) in a sudden and surprising way ▪ They were caught unprepared by the crisis. = The crisis caught them unawares. [=they were not prepared when the crisis occurred] ▪ The announcement caught me by surprise. [=I was surprised by the announcement]
5 [+ obj] a : to suddenly stop (yourself) before you do something ▪ Luckily, he caught himself before he gave away the secret. b : to suddenly become aware that you are doing something ▪ He caught himself staring at her.
6 [+ obj] : to cause (someone) to be stopped, delayed, etc. —usually used as (be/get) caught ▪ We got caught in a rain storm and had to find shelter. ▪ I'm sorry I'm late. I was caught in traffic. ▪ We got caught up in traffic and were late for our flight. —see also caught up in 1 (below)
7 : to cause (something) to become stuck and unable to move [+ obj] ▪ I caught my sleeve on a nail. ▪ The kite got caught [=tangled] in the tree. ▪ She tried to stand up, but her foot was caught in the strap. [no obj] ▪ My sleeve caught on a nail.
8 [no obj] : to have the parts connect firmly ▪ I tried to lock the door, but the lock wouldn't catch.
9 [+ obj] a : to stop and hold (falling water) ▪ They kept a bucket outside to catch the rain. b : to become covered with (something that moves through the air) ▪ These curtains catch a lot of dust.
10 [+ obj] a : to hit or touch (someone or something) ▪ The bullet caught him in the leg. ▪ His last punch caught me in the jaw. ▪ Isn't it beautiful the way the setting sun catches the tips of the trees? b : to be hit or touched by (something) ▪ He caught a bullet in the leg. ▪ The tips of the trees catch the light as the sun sets.
11 [+ obj] : to become affected with (a sickness or disease) ▪ We both caught [=contracted] the flu. ▪ I seem to catch a cold every winter. ▪ children catching colds from each other ◊When people say that you will catch your death (of cold), they mean that you will become sick or catch a very bad cold. ▪ It's freezing! You'll catch your death if you go out without a coat! —see also catching
12 [+ obj] : to begin to feel excitement or interest about something ▪ I haven't caught the holiday spirit yet this year. ▪ People are getting really interested in the sport. The whole country is starting to catch the fever.
13 [+ obj] : to attract and hold (someone's attention, interest, etc.) ▪ I tried to catch the waiter's attention, but I guess he didn't see me. ▪ The show is more likely to catch the interest of an older audience. ▪ Her books have caught the imagination of children from around the world. [=children find her books very exciting and enjoyable] ◊If someone or something catches your eye, you notice that person or thing. ▪ There was one dress in particular that caught my eye. —see also eye-catching
14 [+ obj] : to see, smell, or notice (something) ▪ I caught [=got] a faint whiff of her perfume. ▪ While you're in Hollywood, you might catch a glimpse of some movie stars. ▪ I caught sight of his red shirt and started calling to him.
15 [+ obj] informal : to hear or understand (something) ▪ What was that again? I didn't quite catch [=hear, get] what you said. ▪ I didn't catch your name. ▪ Do you catch my drift? [=do you understand what I mean?]
16 [+ obj] : to become aware of (something, such as an illness) ▪ The disease is curable if caught [=detected] early.
17 [+ obj] : to have or do (something) ▪ You can catch [=take] a quick nap on the train.
18 [+ obj] : to get (something) through effort ▪ I managed to catch [=get] a ride into town with some friends.
19 [+ obj] informal : to meet with (someone) ▪ “See you soon.” “Yup. Catch you later.”
20 [+ obj] : to move fast enough to be next to or in front of (someone) ▪ She caught [=overtook] the leader in the final meters of the race. ▪ He left before I did so I had to hurry to catch him. [=to catch up with him]
21 [+ obj] : to get on a bus, train, etc., before it leaves ▪ If you miss the first bus, you can catch the next one in 15 minutes. ▪ If you'll excuse me, I have a plane to catch.
22 [+ obj] : to see or hear (a show, game, etc.) ▪ I only caught the last few minutes of the game. ▪ Did you catch the show on Channel 4 last night?
23 [+ obj] : to describe or show (someone or something) in an accurate way in art ▪ The new portrait catches her likeness perfectly. ▪ The novel successfully catches the atmosphere of 19th-century Paris.
24 [no obj] baseball : to play the position of catcher ▪ He catches for the New York Yankees. ▪ If you pitch, I'll catch.
catch at [phrasal verb]
catch at (something) : to reach for and try to hold (something) ▪ The baby caught at my dress as I walked past.
catch fire
1 or US catch on fire : to begin to burn ▪ Newspaper catches fire [=ignites] easily. ▪ Their house caught fire and burned to the ground. ▪ Don't leave the towel on the stove. It could catch fire.
2 : to become very popular or effective ▪ The idea failed to catch fire. ▪ The singer hasn't caught fire in this country yet. ▪ a new technology that has caught fire with the public
2 : to become very popular or effective ▪ The idea failed to catch fire. ▪ The singer hasn't caught fire in this country yet. ▪ a new technology that has caught fire with the public
catch hell —see hell
catch it
chiefly Brit informal : to be punished or scolded ▪ He's really going to catch it [=(US) catch hell] (from his boss) if he comes in late again!
catch lightning in a bottle —see 1lightning
catch on [phrasal verb]
1 : to become popular ▪ This trend is catching on with/among college students. ▪ Soccer is finally starting to catch on in America.
2 : to learn or understand something ▪ Once you start playing the game, the kids will catch on pretty quickly. ▪ It took her a while to catch on, but she eventually got the joke.
2 : to learn or understand something ▪ Once you start playing the game, the kids will catch on pretty quickly. ▪ It took her a while to catch on, but she eventually got the joke.
catch out [phrasal verb]
catch (someone) out chiefly Brit : to show that (someone) does not know something or is doing something bad ▪ She loved catching teachers out by asking tough questions. ▪ The police tried to catch him out in a lie.
catch (someone) dead —see 1dead
catch up [phrasal verb]
1 : to move fast enough to join someone or something that is in front of you ▪ They went so fast we couldn't catch up. —often + with or to ▪ Slow down so that I can catch up with you. ▪ She ran as fast as she could, but she couldn't catch up with her brother. = (US) She couldn't catch up to him. —often used figuratively ▪ In order to catch up with its competitors in the industry, the company will need to start using more advanced technologies. ▪ She missed several months of school and may never catch up with the other children in her class. = (US) She may never catch up to them.
2 : to learn about recent events ▪ We haven't seen each other in such a long time; we've got lots of catching up to do! ▪ catching up with old friends —often + on ▪ He reads the newspaper on Sunday mornings to catch up on the news.
3 catch up on (something) : to do (something) that you could have done earlier ▪ She has to catch up on her homework. ▪ I hope to catch up on some much-needed sleep this weekend.
4 catch (someone) up Brit : to join someone who is ahead of you ▪ He was ahead of me for most of the race, but I caught him up [=I caught up with him] at the end. ▪ Go on ahead: I'll catch you up later.
5 catch up with (someone) a : to begin to affect (someone) usually in a bad way ▪ All those late nights are really starting to catch up with me! ▪ Old age catches up with everyone in the end. b : to find and arrest (someone) ▪ The police eventually caught up with him in Texas. c informal : to meet with (someone) ▪ I've got to go. I'll catch up with you later.
2 : to learn about recent events ▪ We haven't seen each other in such a long time; we've got lots of catching up to do! ▪ catching up with old friends —often + on ▪ He reads the newspaper on Sunday mornings to catch up on the news.
3 catch up on (something) : to do (something) that you could have done earlier ▪ She has to catch up on her homework. ▪ I hope to catch up on some much-needed sleep this weekend.
4 catch (someone) up Brit : to join someone who is ahead of you ▪ He was ahead of me for most of the race, but I caught him up [=I caught up with him] at the end. ▪ Go on ahead: I'll catch you up later.
5 catch up with (someone) a : to begin to affect (someone) usually in a bad way ▪ All those late nights are really starting to catch up with me! ▪ Old age catches up with everyone in the end. b : to find and arrest (someone) ▪ The police eventually caught up with him in Texas. c informal : to meet with (someone) ▪ I've got to go. I'll catch up with you later.
catch your breath —see breath
caught in the middle —see 2middle
caught short
1 : not having enough of something ▪ Don't be caught short! Make sure you stock up on supplies before you set out on your trip.
2 Brit informal : having a sudden urge to use the toilet
2 Brit informal : having a sudden urge to use the toilet
caught up in
1 : involved in (a difficult or confusing situation) ▪ Several members of Congress were caught up in the scandal. ▪ How did you get caught up in this mess? —see also 1catch 6 (above)
2 : excited about something and having trouble thinking about anything else ▪ Everyone was caught up in the excitement. ▪ Try not to get too caught up in the moment.
2 : excited about something and having trouble thinking about anything else ▪ Everyone was caught up in the excitement. ▪ Try not to get too caught up in the moment.
—catch·able /ˈkætʃəbəl, ˈkɛtʃəbəl/ adjective ▪ a catchable ball
/ˈkætʃəbəl, ˈkɛtʃəbəl/ adjective ▪ a catchable ball