catchverb
uk/kætʃ/us/kætʃ/caught, caughtcatch verb (TAKE HOLD)
A1 [ I or T ] to take hold of something, especially something that is moving through the air:
More examples
- Jenny stood with her feet slightly apart, ready to catch the ball.
- He caught the rope and knotted it around a post.
- She caught the ball in mid-air.
- He caught me at the precise moment that I fainted.
- She bought a net to catch butterflies.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Capturing or taking possession of things
- -grabbing
- apprehend
- apprehension
- arrogate
- at bay idiom
- bag
- cage
- capture
- clutch
- collar
- corner
- entangle
- get your claws into sb idiom
- get/lay/put your hands on sb idiom
- grab
- repo man
- seize
- sequester
- snag
- snatch
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catch verb (STOP ESCAPING)
B1 [ T ] to find and stop a person or animal that is trying to escape:
More examples
- Police set up roadblocks on all roads out of the town in an effort to catch the bombers.
- Soldiers who deserted and were caught were shot.
- The robber was caught when someone tipped off the police.
- Thousands of illegal immigrants are caught and deported every year.
- I caught the dog by the collar and dragged it out of the room.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Capturing or taking possession of things
- -grabbing
- apprehend
- apprehension
- arrogate
- at bay idiom
- bag
- cage
- capture
- clutch
- collar
- corner
- entangle
- get your claws into sb idiom
- get/lay/put your hands on sb idiom
- grab
- repo man
- seize
- sequester
- snag
- snatch
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catch verb (NOTICE)
B2 [ T ] to discover, see, or realize something, especially someone doing something wrong:
B2 to make someone notice something and feel interested:
to not have something, especially when it is needed:
said to mean that you will certainly not see someone doing a particular thing or in a particular place:
More examples
- She was fired after she was caught stealing from her employer.
- She was caught driving at 120 mph.
- I caught him looking through my private papers.
- He caught me staring out of the window.
- It's embarrassing to be caught telling a lie.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Using the eyes
- before your very eyes idiom
- beheld
- bore
- breathe
- come to sb's attention/notice idiom
- dart
- eye
- feast
- gawk
- get a load of that! idiom
- get him, her, you, etc.! idiom
- keep tabs on sth/sb idiom
- look-see
- observational
- out of/from the corner of your eye idiom
- passer-by
- rest
- sneak
- squint
- visual
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catch verb (TRAVEL)
A1 [ T ] to travel or be able to travel on an aircraft, train, bus, etc.:
More examples
- If we don't hurry up, we won't be in time to catch the train.
- We arrived at the airport just in time to catch the plane.
- We caught the ferry across to Ireland.
- We caught the overnight flight from LA and got to New York at five this morning.
- She caught the train to Edinburgh.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Travelling
- backpacking
- bum around (somewhere)
- coach
- connect
- cover
- cruise
- destination
- gad about/around (somewhere)
- gallivant
- have sth, will travel idiom
- override
- ply
- road
- roam
- tootle
- tourist class
- travel
- travelled
- voyage
- well travelled
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catch verb (BECOME INFECTED)
A2 [ T ] to get an illness, especially one caused by bacteria or a virus:
More examples
- Don't come too near me - you might catch my cold.
- Don't go out with wet hair, you might catch a chill.
- I'm feeling a bit feverish - I hope I haven't caught the flu.
- I don't know exactly what's wrong with her - she's caught some sort of virus.
- A lot of children in the school caught measles last term.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Passing on illness & causing disease
- carrier
- carry
- communicate
- contagious
- epidemic
- incubate
- infect
- infected
- infest
- insalubrious
- mediastinum
- non-communicable
- prophylactic
- transmission
- transmit
- unhygienic
- vector
- verminous
- virulence
- virulent
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catch verb (STICK)
C2 [ I or T ] to stick somewhere, or to make something stick somewhere:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Tearing and breaking into pieces
- apart
- asunder
- bobble
- break (sth) off
- breakage
- crack
- fall apart
- flake
- fragment
- fragmented
- frayed
- in ribbons idiom
- knacker
- pull sth apart
- rent
- rip
- shear
- split
- tear sth up
- torn
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catch verb (BE IN TIME)
[ T ] to manage to be in time to see or do something:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Succeeding, achieving and fulfilling
- accomplish
- achieve
- acquit
- actualize
- attain
- bear
- go (off) without a hitch idiom
- go places idiom
- go the whole hog idiom
- grade
- groove
- have the last laugh idiom
- kill
- rise
- sew sth up
- somewhere
- stand out
- streak ahead
- succeed
- sunset
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catch verb (HEAR/SEE)
[ T ] to manage to hear something:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Using the ears
- audio
- auditory
- be all ears idiom
- earshot
- eavesdrop
- hark at sb! idiom
- hear
- hear sb out
- hearer
- hearken
- lend
- listen
- listen in on sth/sb
- mishear
- overhear
- pin
- pin back your ears idiom
- prick
- prick (sth) up
- read my lips idiom
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catch verb (HIT)
[ T ] to hit something, especially without intending to:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Hitting against objects accidentally and colliding
- bang
- bowl sb over
- broadside
- buffet
- bump
- cannon
- crash
- ding
- go into sth
- hit
- jarring
- knock sb down
- knock sb over
- prang
- run (sth) into sth/sb
- sideswipe
- slam
- smash
- smash-up
- strike
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catch verb (INVOLVE)
C2 to become involved in something, often without wanting to:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Taking part and getting involved
- along
- attendee
- be (a) party to sth idiom
- be heavily into sth idiom
- be mixed up with/in sth idiom
- concern
- count
- deep
- get your teeth into sth idiom
- go in on sth
- hat
- immersive
- in on sth idiom
- muscle
- neck
- plunge in/plunge into sth
- punch above your weight idiom
- ring-in
- step
- step in
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catch verb (BREATHE)
to stop breathing for a moment, or to begin to breathe correctly again after running or other exercise:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Animal physiology: breathing & stopping breathing
- aerobic respiration
- anaerobic
- asphyxia
- breathable
- breathe
- breathing
- breathless
- gasp
- heave
- huff
- intake
- respiration
- respiratory
- sigh
- sleep apnoea
- strangle
- strangulate
- suffocate
- suffocating
- winded
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catch verb (BE TOUCHED BY)
If you have caught the sun, the sun has made your skin a slightly darker brown or red colour:
If something catches the light, a light shines on it and makes it look shiny.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
The skin, & skin colour
- beauty spot
- blanch
- coloring
- coloured
- cutaneous
- dermatome
- dermis
- drain
- follicle
- goosebumps
- half-caste
- ink
- jaundiced
- pale
- pallid
- sallow
- skin graft
- swarthy
- waxen
- wrinkled
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catch verb (BURN)
B1 to start burning:
[ I ] to begin to burn:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Burning, burnt & on fire
- ablaze
- alight
- blaze
- burned out
- burnt
- burnt out
- burst
- char
- flame
- flammable
- forest fire
- frazzled
- go up in flames idiom
- incinerate
- inextinguishable
- scald
- sear
- singe
- smolder
- spontaneous combustion
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Idiom(s)
Phrasal verb(s)
catchnoun
uk/kætʃ/us/kætʃ/catch noun (PROBLEM)
[ S ] a hidden problem or disadvantage:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Difficult things and people
- a (heavy) cross to bear idiom
- a bitter pill (to swallow) idiom
- a hard/tough nut to crack idiom
- albatross
- bane
- chill
- equation
- handicap
- headache
- hiccup
- hot potato
- impediment
- job
- labyrinth
- liability
- the chill wind of sth idiom
- the hard way idiom
- the sharp end
- the/a devil of a sth idiom
- thorn in your flesh/side idiom
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catch noun (SOMETHING CAUGHT)
[ C ] an amount of fish caught:
[ S ] informal a person who is considered to be very suitable for a relationship:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Capturing or taking possession of things
- -grabbing
- apprehend
- apprehension
- arrogate
- at bay idiom
- bag
- cage
- capture
- clutch
- collar
- corner
- entangle
- get your claws into sb idiom
- get/lay/put your hands on sb idiom
- grab
- repo man
- seize
- sequester
- snag
- snatch
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catch noun (FASTENING DEVICE)
[ C ] a small device on a door, window, bag, etc. that keeps it fastened
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Building: locks & locksmithing
- bolt
- combination
- deadbolt
- deadlock
- fastener
- fastening
- hasp
- key
- key ring
- keycard
- keyhole
- latch
- lock
- locksmith
- master key
- mortise lock
- padlock
- pass key
- skeleton key
- Yale lock
catch noun (STIFFNESS)
[ C or U ] Indian English a feeling of stiffness in part of your body:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Problems & bones, joints & teeth
- arthritic
- arthrosis
- bruxism
- central giant cell granuloma
- chondrosarcoma
- chordoma
- fracture
- gout
- impacted
- osteoarthritis
- put sth out 1
- repetitive strain injury
- rheumatology
- root canal
- RSI
- slipped disc
- teeth grinding
- temporomandibular joint disorder
- toothache
- trigger finger
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