catch
gb/kˈæt͡ʃ/ us/kˈæt͡ʃ/
A1
English
~ 800
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A1
action
1
Seize something moving
To stop and hold something that is moving, using your hands or something else.
Usage pattern:
to catch [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'catch' with 'grab'. 'Catch' usually involves something moving toward you or away, while 'grab' can mean taking anything quickly.
Synonyms
grab (More general; can refer to quickly taking hold of anything, not just moving things.)
Antonyms
miss (Fail to take hold of something moving toward you.)
Collocations
catch a ball
|catch a fish
|catch a bus
|catch someone
Themes
sports
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She managed to catch the ball with one hand.
- I tried to catch the glass before it hit the floor.
- He caught the butterfly gently in his net.
- Catch the rope before it swings away.
Learner examples
- I can catch the ball.
- Please catch this pen.
- He catches fish in the river.
- Catch the ball now.
Verb
A2
action
2
Board transport in time
To get on a bus, train, plane, etc., before it goes away.
Usage pattern:
to catch [a bus/train/flight]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'catch' with 'take'. 'Catch' emphasizes being in time before departure; 'take' is more general.
Synonyms
board (More formal; refers specifically to entering transport.)
Antonyms
miss (Fail to arrive in time to board transportation.)
Collocations
catch a bus
|catch a train
|catch a flight
Themes
travel
|daily life
|transportation
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I caught the last train home last night.
- Hurry if you want to catch the bus.
- We need to catch our flight at 8 p.m.
Learner examples
- I catch the bus at 8.
- She catches the train every day.
- We must catch the plane now.
Verb
A2
action
3
Get an illness
To get sick with a disease from someone or something.
Usage pattern:
to catch [an illness]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say 'take a cold' instead of 'catch a cold'. The correct phrase is 'catch a cold'.
Synonyms
contract (More formal and technical; often used in medical contexts.)
Antonyms
recover (Become well after having an illness.)
Collocations
catch a cold
|catch the flu
|catch pneumonia
Themes
health
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Don't get too close or you might catch his cold.
- She caught the flu last winter.
- You can catch chickenpox from someone who has it.
Learner examples
- I caught a cold.
- She caught the flu.
- He caught a bad cough.
Verb
B1
action
4
Hear or understand words
To hear and know what someone says.
Usage pattern:
to catch [what someone says]
Common mistake:
Learners might confuse with 'hear'. 'Catch' often implies effort or partial success in hearing/understanding.
Synonyms
understand (General comprehension; may not imply difficulty in hearing.)
Antonyms
miss (Fail to hear or understand what was said.)
Collocations
catch every word
|catch what you said
Themes
communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Sorry, I didn't catch your name.
- Did you catch what she just said?
- I couldn't catch all the details over the phone.
Learner examples
- I did not catch your name.
- Did you catch his words?
- I cannot catch her voice.
Noun
B1
entity
5
Hidden drawback or condition
A secret problem that makes something not as good as it looks.
Synonyms
drawback (A disadvantage; not always hidden.)
Antonyms
benefit (An advantage rather than a disadvantage.)
Collocations
there's a catch
|the only catch
Themes
business
|daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- It sounds like a great deal, but what's the catch?
- The job is perfect—the only catch is that it’s unpaid.
- There's always a catch with offers like this.
Learner examples
- What is the catch?
- There is no catch here.
- The only catch is the cost.
Noun
A2
entity
6
Things captured, especially fish/animals
Fish, animals, or things that someone catches at one time.
Synonyms
haul (Emphasizes quantity and effort in obtaining something caught.)
Collocations
good catch
|big catch
Themes
food
|nature
|animals
|food_drink
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Today's catch was mostly salmon.
- The fisherman showed us his impressive catch.
- That's quite a big catch for one day.
Learner examples
- This is my catch today.
- The catch is small.
- We saw his big catch.
Grammar
Dictionary form
catch
IPA
GB/kˈæt͡ʃ/
US/kˈæt͡ʃ/
Syllables & stress
catch (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (catch)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: catch
- Plural: catches
Verb
- Base: catch
- 3rd Person Singular: catches
- Present Participle: catching
- Past: caught
- Past Participle: caught
Word family
Forms
catches
noun
catching
verb
caught
verb
Related words
catcher
noun
catchy
adjective B2
Negative and opposite forms
miss
verb A2
uncatchable
adjective
Highlights
- Irregular past: caught Verb
- Irregular past participle: caught Verb
Expressions
catch on
1/kˈæt͡ʃ ˈɔn/
phrasal verb
Begin to understand something
To start to understand an idea or how something works after some time.
Examples
- It took him a while to catch on to the joke.
- She quickly caught on to the new system.
catch up
1/kˈæt͡ʃ ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
Reach same level as another
To move faster to be at the same place or level as someone or something ahead of you.
Examples
- You go ahead—I'll catch up later.
- She ran to catch up with her friends.
catch your breath
1/kˈæt͡ʃ jˈʊɹ bɹˈɛθ/
idiom
Pause to breathe after effort/shock
To stop for a short time so you can breathe easily again after running or feeling surprised.
Examples
- He stopped at the top of the hill to catch his breath.
- I had to pause and catch my breath after hearing the news.
catch fire
1/kˈæt͡ʃ fˈaɪɚ/
fixed phrase
Start burning suddenly
To begin to burn quickly without planning it.
Examples
- The curtains caught fire from the candle.
- His shirt caught fire when he got too close to the stove.
- Dry grass can catch fire easily in summer.
catch someone's eye
1/kˈæt͡ʃ sˈʌmwˌʌnz ˈaɪ/
idiom
Attract visual attention briefly
To make someone notice you or something by sight for a short time.
Examples
- That bright shirt really caught my eye.
- That bright dress really caught my eye.
- A movement in the corner caught her eye.
- A movement outside the window caught her eye.