Definition of catch - Reverso English Dictionary
Verb
1.
grab holdcapture or seize someone or something
- The police catch the thief quickly.
2.
comprehensiongrasp mentally or understand
- I finally caught the concept.
3.
sensesnotice or perceive something
- Did you catch what she said?
4.
sportsintercept an object in motion
- She managed to catch the ball.
5.
contractbecome infected with
- He went out in the rain and caught a cold..
6.
timereach in time for something
- We need to catch the last train.
7.
mindattract or hold attention
- The movie's plot will catch your interest.
8.
interactionsurprise someone doing something
- I caught him sneaking out.
9.
entangleintr. become entangled or stuckintr.
- Her dress caught on the nail.
10.
igniteintr. become ignited or start burningintr.
- The dry leaves caught fire easily.
Noun
1.
sportUS game of throwing and catching a ballUS
- They played catch in the backyard.
2.
captured itemsomething captured or caught
- The catch of fish was plentiful.
3.
taking holdact of capturing or seizing something
- The goalkeeper made a brilliant catch.
4.
mechanicsdevice for fastening or locking
- He secured the door with a sturdy catch..
5.
relationshipperson seen as a good partner
- He's considered a great catch.
6.
dealhidden difficulty in a deal
- There's a catch in the contract.
7.
emotionhesitation in voice from emotion
- There was a catch in her voice.
Images of catch
device for fastening or locking
Expressions with catch
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
become ill with a cold virus
She might catch cold if she goes out without a coat.
pause to breathe after physical activity
After the run, she stopped to catch breath.
start to burn or burst into flames
The dry leaves can easily catch fire.
capture small flying insects
He used a net to catch flies.
make someone notice something
The bright colors caught her attention immediately.
reach someone who is ahead
I had to run to catch up with her on the trail..
become infected with a cold virus
She started sneezing and realized she might catch a cold..
make someone feel shocked or unprepared suddenly
The news caught me by surprise.
grasp something firmly
She reached out to catch hold of the railing..
fresh seafood caught within the last 24 hours
Today's catch of the day is grilled salmon.
understand after some initial difficulty
It took him a while to catch on.
begin to burn suddenly and intensely
The dry leaves can catch on fire easily.
understand or realize something after some time
She finally caught on to the joke.
pause to breathe after physical exertion
After the sprint, he stopped to catch his breath.
attract someone's attention or interest
The glittering ring in the display case caught her eye instantly.
attract someone's attention or curiosity
The colorful ad caught my interest immediately.
spend time outside to enjoy sunlight
Let's go to the park and catch some sun.
understand and follow the beat in music
It took him a while to catch the rhythm of the song.
become updated with the latest information
I need to catch up on the news.
learn news or information missed before
Let's catch up on what happened while I was away.
informal way to say see you soon
Catch you later, I'll be back in an hour.
pause to breathe after physical activity
After the climb, sit down and catch your breath.
attract your attention or interest
The bright colors of the painting catch your eye immediately.
successful action of catching a ball in sports
That was a good catch by the outfielder.
Origin of catch
Latin, captiare (to try to seize)
Terms with catch included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
communication
informal greeting used to catch attention
spider trap
web spun by spiders to catch prey
pursuit
pursue to catch or attack
catching activity
try to catch animals that live in water
hunting
go after with the intent to catch
physical protection
net used to catch falling persons or objects
pursuit
go after someone to catch or find them
catching
catch something using a net
sports
padded glove used in baseball to catch the ball
fire
catch fire and burn until destroyed
pursuit
catch up with someone during a chase
catching fish
try to catch fish using fishing equipment
fishing
net used to catch fish in water
chase
pursue in attempt to catch someone or something
trap
strong device used to catch animals
animal
set up a device to catch animals
transportation
be too late to catch a scheduled bus
transportation
fail to catch a connecting transportation
transportation
fail to catch the train
chase
follow quickly to catch someone or something
boating
pieces of fabric used to catch wind on a boat
strategy
prepare something to catch or trick someone or something
bathroom
flat base in a shower to catch water
surprise
catch someone off guard unexpectedly
Examples of catch in a sentence
Farmers catch the stray sheep in the field. Did you catch what he meant by that? I couldn't catch the joke at first. I caught a faint smell of smoke. Did you catch the movement behind the curtain? He tried to catch the frisbee during the game.
The goalkeeper must catch the ball to prevent a goal. She caught the flu from her coworker. He caught a nasty virus while traveling. I hope we can catch the early morning flight tomorrow. She ran fast to catch the bus before it left. The bright poster caught everyone's eye. Her opening question catches the audience's attention. She caught them whispering secrets. He was caught cheating on the test. My sleeve caught in the door. The fishing line caught on a rock. The curtains could catch from a nearby candle. Oil-soaked rags may catch without warning. A game of catch is great for bonding. They enjoyed a quick catch before dinner. The fisherman's biggest catch was a salmon. The ranger examined the catch before releasing it. His one-handed catch saved the game. The police made the catch near the border. The box had a hidden catch. He fixed the catch on the window. Many consider her a real catch in the dating scene. Finding such a catch in this town is rare. The offer seemed great, but there was a catch. Investors were wary of the catch in the proposal. A catch in his voice revealed his nerves. She spoke with a catch, holding back tears.
View all translations of catch
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:attraper, attrape, ...
- German:fangen, Fangen, ...
- Italian:catturare, gioco del lancio e della presa, ...
- Spanish:capturar, lanzamiento y captura, ...
- Portuguese:apanhar, apanha, ...
- Chinese:抓住, 接球游戏, ...
- Japanese:捕まえる, キャッチボール, ...
- Arabic:قَبَضَ, لُعْبَة رَمْي وَالتِقاط الكُرَة, ...
- Hebrew:לִתְפֹּס, תָּפוּס, ...
- Russian:ловить, мяч, ...
- Ukrainian:схопити, ловля м'яча, ...
- Hindi:पकड़ना, कैच, ...
icon to discover related terms: analogies, antonyms, common collocates, words with same roots, umbrella terms… Try with happening or hunch.
icon next to the first example to see two additional options and learn to use new vocabulary naturally.
icon to save words you want to revisit. You can also save a specific meaning by clicking on the