Catch (something/somebody) - Oxford Learner's Dictionaries

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Definition of catch verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

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 jump to other results

hold

1.   [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 tripped.
   • 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

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2.   [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.
3. [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

4.   [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

5.   [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

6.   [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 Health problemsb1

interest

7.   [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

8.   [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

9.   [transitive] catch something to hear or understand something
   • Sorry, I didn't quite catch what you said.

somebody doing something

10.   [transitive] to find or discover somebody doing something, especially something wrong
    • catch somebody doing something I caught her lying to me again.
    • 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

11. [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).

see/hear

12. [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 seeseespot ▪ catch ▪ glimpseThese 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

13. [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

14. [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

15. [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

16. [transitive, intransitive] catch (fire) to begin to burn
    • The wooden rafters caught fire.
    • These logs are wet: they won't catch.

light

17. [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

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

show accurately

19. [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

20. [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

1. 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)

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

be (caught) in a cleft stick

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

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

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

catch your breath

1. to stop breathing for a moment because of fear, shock, etc.
   • When he said he had resigned, I caught my breath in surprise.
2. (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

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

catch your death (of cold)

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

catch somebody’s eye

1. to attract somebody’s attention
   • Can you catch the waiter's eye?

catch/take somebody’s fancy

1. 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)

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

catch somebody napping

1. 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

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

catch/touch somebody on the raw

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

catch somebody red-handed

1. 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)

1. (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

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

(catch/throw somebody) off balance

1. 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.
2. 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

1. (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

Phrasal Verbs

• be caught up in
• catch at
• catch on
• catch out
• catch up
• catch up on
• catch up with
• get caught up in

See catch in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee catch in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic EnglishCheck pronunciation: catch

Other results

All matches

• catch noun
• Catch-22
• catch at
• catch on
• catch up
• catch-up noun
• catch-all noun
• catch-all adjective
• catch out
• catch crop noun
• catch up on
• safety catch noun
• catch up with
• catch-ups
• catch it
• catch-alls
• catch crops
• safety catch
• catch on
• catch your breath

See more Phrasal verbs

• catch on
• catch at something
• catch somebody out
• catch on (to something)
• catch up (on something)
• catch up on something
• catch up with somebody
• catch up (with somebody)

See more Idioms

• (a) catch-22
• play catch-up
• a catch-22 situation
• catch/get/grab some rays
• (catch somebody) on the back foot
• (catch/throw somebody) off balance
• catch, get, grab, take, etc. (a) hold of somebody/something

See more

Nearby words

• catcall noun
• Catch-22
• catch verb
• catch noun
• catch-all noun

illustrate verb From the Word list OPAL written words Oxford Learner's Dictionaries Word of the Day