catch

verb

/kætʃ/

/kætʃ/, /ketʃ/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they catch	/kætʃ/ /kætʃ/, /ketʃ/
he / she / it catches	/ˈkætʃɪz/ /ˈkætʃɪz/, /ˈketʃɪz/
past simple caught	/kɔːt/ /kɔːt/
past participle caught	/kɔːt/ /kɔːt/
-ing form catching	/ˈkætʃɪŋ/ /ˈkætʃɪŋ/, /ˈketʃɪŋ/

Idioms Phrasal Verbs

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hold

[transitive, intransitive] catch (something/somebody) to stop and hold a moving object or person, especially in your hands

She managed to catch the keys as they fell.
I caught him when he fell.
The dog caught the stick in its mouth.
I threw the bag in the air and she caught it.
‘Throw me over that towel, will you?’ ‘OK. Catch!’

Topics Sports: ball and racket sportsa2

[transitive] catch something to hold a liquid when it falls

The roof was leaking and I had to use a bucket to catch the drips.

[transitive] catch somebody/something (+ adv./prep.) to take hold of somebody/something

He caught hold of her arm as she tried to push past him.
He caught her up in his arms.
She caught the bar with both hands as she fell.

bus/train/plane

[transitive] catch something to be in time for a bus, train, plane, etc. and get on it

to catch a bus/train/flight
We caught the 12.15 from Oxford.
I must go—I have a train to catch.

Extra Examples

After a while they left to catch their bus.
He was still hoping to catch the 8.30 ferry.
If you want to catch that bus, you'd better hurry!
Then she had to leave to catch her plane.
He was thinking of catching a plane home.

Topics Transport by bus and traina2, Transport by aira2

capture

[transitive] catch somebody/something to capture a person or an animal that tries or would try to escape

The murderer was never caught.
Our cat is hopeless at catching mice.
How many fish did you catch?
The police say they are doing all they can to catch the culprits.

Topics Crime and punishmenta2

illness

[transitive] to get an illness

catch something It is unusual to catch measles more than once.
catch something from somebody I think I must have caught this cold from you.

Topics Illnessb1

interest

[transitive] catch somebody’s attention, imagination, interest, etc. if something catches your attention, etc., you notice it and feel interested in it

A sign on the wall caught my attention.
Over the years, the mystery has caught the popular imagination.
There was one story in particular that caught her interest.

notice

[transitive] catch something to notice something only for a moment

She caught sight of a car in the distance.
He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror.
I caught a look of surprise on her face.
He caught a whiff of her perfume.

hear/understand

[transitive] catch something to hear or understand something

Sorry, I didn't quite catch what you said.

somebody doing something

[transitive] to find or discover somebody doing something, especially something wrong

catch somebody doing something I caught her smoking in the bathroom.
You wouldn't catch me working (= I would never work) on a Sunday!
catch yourself doing something She caught herself wondering whether she had made a mistake.
catch somebody + adv./prep. He was caught with bomb-making equipment in his home.
Mark walked in and caught them at it (= in the act of doing something wrong).
thieves caught in the act
You've caught me at a bad time (= at a time when I am busy).

be in time

[transitive] catch somebody/something to be in time to do something, talk to somebody, etc.

I caught him just as he was leaving the building.
I was hoping to catch you at home (= to see you at home when you were there).
The illness can be treated provided it's caught (= discovered) early enough.
(British English) to catch the post (= post letters before the box is emptied)
(British English, informal) Bye for now! I'll catch you later (= speak to you again later).
You've caught me at a bad time.

see/hear

[transitive] catch something (informal, especially North American English) to see or hear something; to attend something

Let's eat now and maybe we could catch a movie later.
Did you catch that show on the radio?

Synonyms seesee

spot
catch
glimpse

These words all mean to become aware of somebody/something by using your eyes, especially suddenly or when it is not easy to see them/it.

see
to become aware of somebody/something by using your eyes:
- She looked for him but couldn’t see him in the crowd.
- He could see (that) she had been crying.
spot
to see or notice somebody/something, especially suddenly or when they are not easy to see or notice:
- I’ve just spotted a mistake on the front cover.
catch
to see or notice something for a moment, but not clearly or completely:
- She caught sight of a car in the distance.
- He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror.
glimpse
(literary) to see somebody/something for a moment, but not clearly or completely:
- He’d glimpsed her through the window as he passed.

Patterns

to see/spot that/how/what/where/who…
to suddenly see/spot/glimpse somebody/something

happen unexpectedly

[transitive] catch somebody to happen unexpectedly and put somebody in a difficult situation

His arrival caught me by surprise.
She got caught in a thunderstorm.

become stuck

[intransitive, transitive] to become stuck in or on something; to make something become stuck

catch (in/on something) Her dress caught on a nail.
catch something (in/on something) He caught his thumb in the door.

hit

[transitive] to hit somebody/something

catch somebody/something + adv./prep. The stone caught him on the side of the head.
catch somebody a blow + adv./prep. She caught him a blow on the chin.

burn

[transitive, intransitive] catch (fire) to begin to burn

The wooden rafters caught fire.
These logs are wet: they won't catch.

light

[transitive] catch something if something catches the light or the light catches it, the light shines on it and makes it shine too

The knife gleamed as it caught the light.
A colourful glow appears as the light catches the glass.

the sun

[transitive] catch the sun (informal) if you catch the sun, you become red or brown because of spending time in the sun

show accurately

[transitive] catch something to show or describe something accurately synonym capture

The artist has caught her smile perfectly.
Cameras caught Jessica headed to a photo shoot downtown.

in cricket

[transitive] catch somebody to make a player unable to continue batting by catching the ball they have hit before it touches the ground

Word OriginMiddle 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’.

Idioms

be/get caught in the middle

to be involved in an argument or fight between two other people or groups
- When they quarrel, I am often caught in the middle.

be caught short

(British English also be taken short)

(British English, informal) to suddenly feel a strong need to go to the toilet
to be put at a disadvantage

be (caught) in a cleft stick

to be in a difficult situation when any action you take will have bad results

(caught/stuck) between a rock and a hard place

in a situation where you have to choose between two things, both of which are unpleasant

catch your breath

to stop breathing for a moment because of fear, shock, etc.
- When he said he had resigned, I caught my breath in surprise.
(also get your breath (again/back) British English)
to start to be able to breathe normally again after running or doing exercise that makes you tired

catch a cold

to become ill with a cold
(informal) to have problems
- The film caught a cold over the outstanding debt.

catch your death (of cold)

(old-fashioned, informal) to catch a very bad cold

catch somebody’s eye

to attract somebody’s attention
- Can you catch the waiter's eye?

catch/take somebody’s fancy

to attract or please somebody
- She looked through the hotel advertisements until one of them caught her fancy.

catch it (British English)

(North American English catch hell, get it)

(informal) to be punished or spoken to angrily about something
- If your dad finds out you'll really catch it!

catch somebody napping

to get an advantage over somebody by doing something when they are not expecting it and not ready for it

catch somebody on the hop

(informal) to surprise somebody by doing something when they are not expecting it and not ready for it

catch/touch somebody on the raw

(British English) to upset somebody by reminding them of something they are particularly sensitive about

catch somebody red-handed

to catch somebody in the act of doing something wrong or committing a crime

catch somebody with their pants down

(British English also catch somebody with their trousers down)

(informal) to arrive or do something when somebody is not expecting it and not ready, especially when they are in an embarrassing situation

the early bird catches the worm

(saying) the person who takes the opportunity to do something before other people will have an advantage over them

(catch/throw somebody) off balance

to make somebody unsteady and in danger of falling
- I was thrown off balance by the sudden gust of wind.
- The sudden movement threw him off balance.
to make somebody surprised and no longer calm
- The senator was clearly caught off balance by the unexpected question.
Topics Feelingsc2

(put/catch somebody) on the back foot

(to put somebody) at a disadvantage or in difficulty
- Advances in drone technology have caught lawmakers on the back foot.
- The side that’s on the back foot, struggling to defend, will usually give away more penalties.
- We'd like to put the fossil fuel industry on the back foot.
opposite on the front foot

catch

noun

/kætʃ/

/kætʃ/, /ketʃ/

Idioms

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of ball

[countable] an act of catching something, for example a ball

Roger made some brilliant catches at today's game.
He dropped several easy catches.

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

awesome
brilliant
good
…

verb + catch

get
make
take
…

See full entry

amount caught

[countable] the total amount of things that are caught

a huge catch of fish

Extra Examples

Fishermen have been landing record catches this season.
a bumper catch of tuna
a restaurant where you can sample the day's catch

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

big
good
huge
…

verb + catch

land
make

catch + verb

decline
fall
go up
…

preposition

catch of

phrases

the catch of the day
the day’s catch

See full entry

fastening

[countable] a device used for fastening something

Fran slipped the catch on the door, then turned to say goodbye.
I can’t open the catch on this bracelet.

difficulty

[countable, usually singular] (informal) a hidden difficulty or disadvantage

All that money for two hours' work—what's the catch?
It sounds too good. There must be a catch.

Topics Difficulty and failurec2

child’s game

[uncountable] a child’s game in which two people throw a ball to each other

person

[singular] (old-fashioned) a person that other people see as a good person to marry, employ, etc.

He’s a good catch.

Idioms

(a) catch-22 | a catch-22 situation

(informal) a difficult situation from which there is no escape because you need to do one thing before doing a second, but you need to do the second thing before you can do the first
- I can't get a job because I haven't got anywhere to live but I can't afford a place to live until I get a job—it's a catch-22 situation.