Catch - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

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SKIP TO CONTENT catch /kɛtʃ/ /kætʃ/ IPA guide

Other forms: caught; catching; catches; catched

When you catch something, you grasp it or seize it in your hands, the way you catch a basketball when your friend throws it to you.

As a verb, catch describes grabbing and holding on. Adding the preposition on means you understand something, like when you catch on to your little brother's scheme to get out of doing chores, or to describe something that's getting popular, like a pop song that catches on then becomes a huge hit. If someone tells you there's a catch, it means there is a complication, but if a person is a catch, he or she makes a good romantic partner.

Definitions of catch

verb take hold of so as to seize or restrain or stop the motion of “Catch the ball!” synonyms: grab, take hold of see moresee less types: show 19 types... hide 19 types... harpoon spear with a harpoon fish catch or try to catch fish or shellfish hook catch with a hook net, nett catch with a net intercept, stop seize on its way crab fish for crab seine fish with a seine; catch fish with a seine scallop, scollop fish for scallops rail fish with a handline over the rails of a boat brail haul fish aboard with brails angle fish with a hook shrimp fish for shrimp net fish fish with nets shark hunt shark trawl fish with trawlers still-fish fish with the line and bait resting still or stationary in the water seize hook by a pull on the line prawn fish for prawns cut off, cut out cut off and stop type of: clutch, prehend, seize take hold of; grab
verb succeed in catching or seizing, especially after a chase “Did you catch the thief?” synonyms: capture, get see moresee less types: recapture, retake capture again lasso, rope catch with a lasso type of: clutch, prehend, seize take hold of; grab
verb capture as if by hunting, snaring, or trapping “I caught a rabbit in the trap today” synonyms: capture see moresee less types: show 25 types... hide 25 types... hunt, hunt down, run, track down pursue for food or sport (as of wild animals) frog hunt frogs for food bag capture or kill, as in hunting batfowl catch birds by temporarily blinding them rat catch rats, especially with dogs ensnare, entrap, snare, trammel, trap catch in or as if in a trap snipe hunt or shoot snipe whale hunt for whales ambush, still-hunt hunt (quarry) by stalking and ambushing turtle hunt for turtles, especially as an occupation drive (hunting) chase from cover into more open ground drive (hunting) search for game rabbit hunt rabbits fowl hunt fowl in the forest poach hunt illegally seal hunt seals ferret hunt with ferrets course hunt with hounds foxhunt hunt foxes, on horseback and with dogs jack, jacklight hunt with a jacklight hawk hunt with hawks falcon hunt with falcons fowl hunt fowl gin trap with a snare forage, scrounge collect or look around for (food) type of: acquire, get come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
verb attract; cause to be enamored synonyms: becharm, beguile, bewitch, captivate, capture, charm, enamor, enamour, enchant, entrance, fascinate, trance see moresee less types: hold hold the attention of work gratify and charm, usually in order to influence type of: appeal, attract be attractive to
verb take in and retain “We have a big barrel to catch the rainwater” synonyms: capture capture as if by hunting, snaring, or trapping see moresee less type of: accumulate, amass, collect, compile, hoard, pile up, roll up get or gather together
verb get or regain something necessary, usually quickly or briefly “Catch some sleep” “catch one's breath” see moresee less type of: acquire, get come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
verb cause to become accidentally or suddenly caught, ensnared, or entangled “I caught the hem of my dress in the brambles” synonyms: hitch hook or entangle
verb delay or hold up; prevent from proceeding on schedule or as planned “I was caught in traffic and missed the meeting” see moresee less type of: delay, detain, hold up cause to be slowed down or delayed
verb to hook or entangle “One foot caught in the stirrup” synonyms: hitch see moresee less types: snag catch on a snag type of: attach cause to be attached
verb attract and fix “His look caught her” “She caught his eye” “Catch the attention of the waiter” synonyms: arrest, get see moresee less type of: attract, draw, draw in, pull, pull in direct toward itself or oneself by means of some psychological power or physical attributes
verb reach with a blow or hit in a particular spot “the rock caught her in the back of the head” “The punch caught him in the stomach” synonyms: get see moresee less type of: hit deal a blow to, either with the hand or with an instrument
verb reach in time “I have to catch a train at 7 o'clock” synonyms: catch up with, overtake catch up with and possibly overtake see moresee less types: get reach and board type of: board, get on get on board of (trains, buses, ships, aircraft, etc.)
verb catch up with and possibly overtake “The Rolls Royce caught us near the exit ramp” synonyms: catch up with, overtake
verb be struck or affected by “catch fire” “catch the mood” synonyms: get suffer from the receipt of see moresee less type of: change undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature
verb start burning “The fire caught” see moresee less type of: catch fire, combust, conflagrate, erupt, ignite, take fire start to burn or burst into flames
verb contract “did you catch a cold?” synonyms: contract, get, take be stricken by an illness, fall victim to an illness see moresee less types: catch cold come down with a cold type of: contract, get, take be stricken by an illness, fall victim to an illness
verb suffer from the receipt of “She will catch hell for this behavior!” synonyms: get get, receive receive as a retribution or punishment see moresee less type of: ache, hurt, suffer feel physical pain
verb be the catcher “Who is catching?” synonyms: grab, take hold of take hold of so as to seize or restrain or stop the motion of see moresee less type of: play participate in games or sport
noun the act of catching an object with the hands “Mays made the catch with his back to the plate” synonyms: grab, snap, snatch see moresee less types: show 6 types... hide 6 types... fair catch (American football) a catch of a punt on the fly by a defensive player who has signalled that he will not run and so should not be tackled interception (American football) the act of catching a football by a player on the opposing team reception (American football) the act of catching a pass in football rebound the act of securing possession of the rebounding basketball after a missed shot shoestring catch (baseball) a running catch made near the ground interlock, interlocking, mesh, meshing the act of interlocking or meshing type of: touch, touching the act of putting two things together with no space between them
noun the act of apprehending (especially apprehending a criminal) synonyms: apprehension, arrest, collar, pinch, taking into custody see moresee less type of: capture, gaining control, seizure the act of forcibly dispossessing an owner of property
noun anything that is caught (especially if it is worth catching) “he shared his catch with the others” see moresee less type of: object, physical object a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow
noun a person regarded as a good matrimonial prospect synonyms: match see moresee less type of: adult, grownup a fully developed person from maturity onward
noun the quantity that was caught “the catch was only 10 fish” synonyms: haul see moresee less type of: indefinite quantity an estimated quantity
noun a restraint that checks the motion of something synonyms: stop see moresee less types: show 4 types... hide 4 types... bench hook any of various stops on a workbench against which work can be pushed (as while chiseling or planing) doorstop, doorstopper a stop that keeps open doors from moving click, detent, dog, pawl a hinged catch that fits into a notch of a ratchet to move a wheel forward or prevent it from moving backward trip, tripper a catch mechanism that acts as a switch type of: constraint, restraint a device that impede's something's motion
noun a fastener that fastens or locks a door or window see moresee less types: show 4 types... hide 4 types... hasp a fastener for a door or lid; a hinged metal plate is fitted over a staple and is locked with a pin or padlock hood latch a catch that holds the hood of a car shut hook a catch for locking a door latch catch for fastening a door or gate; a bar that can be lowered or slid into a groove type of: fastener, fastening, fixing, holdfast restraint that attaches to something or holds something in place
noun a break or check in the voice (usually a sign of strong emotion) see moresee less type of: delivery, manner of speaking, speech your characteristic style or manner of expressing yourself orally
noun a cooperative game in which a ball is passed back and forth “he played catch with his son in the backyard” see moresee less type of: game an amusement or pastime
verb discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state “She caught her son eating candy” “She was caught shoplifting” see moresee less type of: surprise cause to be surprised
verb become aware of “he caught her staring out the window” see moresee less type of: find, see, witness perceive or be contemporaneous with
verb grasp with the mind or develop an understanding of “did you catch that allusion?” “We caught something of his theory in the lecture” “don't catch your meaning” synonyms: get get apprehend and reproduce accurately get acquire as a result of some effort or action see moresee less type of: understand know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
verb detect a blunder or misstep synonyms: trip up see moresee less type of: discover, find out, get a line, get wind, get word, hear, learn, pick up, see get to know or become aware of, usually accidentally
verb perceive with the senses quickly, suddenly, or momentarily “I caught the aroma of coffee” “He caught the allusion in her glance” “ears open to catch every sound” “Catch a glimpse” synonyms: pick up see moresee less type of: comprehend, perceive become aware of through the senses
verb see or watch “Catch a show on Broadway” synonyms: see, take in, view, watch see perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight see moresee less types: show 5 types... hide 5 types... visualise, visualize view the outline of by means of an X-ray spectate be a spectator in a sports event preview watch (a movie or play) before it is released to the general public preview see or inspect in a preliminary way or in advance image render visible, as by means of MRI type of: watch look attentively
verb perceive by hearing “I didn't catch your name” synonyms: get overhear, take in hear, usually without the knowledge of the speakers see moresee less type of: hear perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
verb hear, usually without the knowledge of the speakers synonyms: overhear, take in get perceive by hearing see moresee less type of: hear perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
verb apprehend and reproduce accurately “She really caught the spirit of the place in her drawings” synonyms: get get grasp with the mind or develop an understanding of see moresee less type of: reproduce recreate a sound, image, idea, mood, atmosphere, etc.
verb check oneself during an action “She managed to catch herself before telling her boss what was on her mind” see moresee less type of: check, contain, control, curb, hold, hold in, moderate lessen the intensity of; temper; hold in restraint; hold or keep within limits
noun a drawback or difficulty that is not readily evident “it sounds good but what's the catch?” synonyms: gimmick see moresee less type of: drawback the quality of being a hindrance
verb spread or be communicated “The fashion did not catch” see moresee less type of: propagate, spread become distributed or widespread

Pronunciation US /kɛtʃ/ UK /kætʃ/ Cite this entry Style: MLA

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