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to catch

to catch

798 5.7
To suffer a bad result because of something
  • verb
  • /kæʧ/
translation icon : recibir
  • You know, I, boy, I caught so much heat for that comment.
  • caught in the middle
  • caught in a cycle
  • caught in a dilemma

So the drama on Sue we got caught in Thunder and lightning.

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Examples

  • I got caught in a lie.

  • Luckily we caught her before she caused too much trouble.

  • So now, the more drugs someone is caught with, the longer the mandatory time in prison.

    Academic text (1993)
  • Of course, they all do it, but when someone gets caught, it's still disgraceful.

    Academic text (1990)
  • He nearly carries the day, but in the end, he's caught in his own trap.

  • Nikolai, if you didn't think you'd get caught, would you pay your taxes?

  • She was sorry that she got caught cheating on the exam.

  • Many people were caught in the sudden storm without shelter.

  • After the argument, I caught a lot of flack from my friends for my harsh words.

Synonyms

to get
vsto catch
3.5

To experience something unpleasant, for example punishment or criticism

is limited to suffering consequences or unwelcome results
to get what's coming to someone
vsto catch
  • Informal
13 6.7

To receive punishment or bad results for doing wrong

is about suffering consequences generally rather than deserved
to catch hell
vsto catch
  • Slang
5 8.2

To get a lot of blame or punishment for a mistake

is milder or broader covering any unpleasant consequence not only severe blame
to catch it
vsto catch
  • Informal
3 8.3

To be punished or scolded by someone in charge

involves suffering consequences more widely not only from authority figures
to take one's lumps
vsto catch
  • Informal
2 8.1

To accept unpleasant results and sometimes punishment for something you did

focuses on suffering the consequence rather than accepting it calmly
to catch it from
vsto catch
  • Informal
1 8.7

Get a strong scolding from someone after doing something wrong

describes suffering consequences generally not always caused by a person
to get one's lumps
vsto catch
  • Informal
8.6

To be punished for something you did wrong

is more general covering any unpleasant result not only punishment

Antonyms

1.0

To stay away from something or not do it to stop something bad from happening

83 5.8

To escape someone or fail to be understood

Idioms

Pause to breathe normally after hard exercise or a shock

Difficult to find, stop, or understand

5 8.2

To become very sick from being outside in the cold, often said as a warning

To notice a small smell of something for a short time

2 7.9

To sleep to get some rest

1 9.9

Get in trouble with the law by being charged with a crime

1 8.9

Using whatever is available and acting without a plan

to catch a body
  • Offensive
1 9.9

To find a dead person, often during police work or as slang for killing someone

To not pay attention and miss what is happening around you, for example because you are daydreaming

To try to get people to agree by being harsh or unpleasant

7.0

Challenge someone to try to reach or pass you

to catch no ball
  • Informal
9.9

To not understand anything in a talk or explanation

9.9

To get a sickness in your chest that makes you cough a lot

to catch a cootie
  • Baby Talk
9.5

To pretend to get a small, not real illness from another person

9.9

To unexpectedly meet a very strong opponent

to catch a wave
  • Informal
6.9

To use a rising trend or new interest to grow quickly

To find someone not ready or not paying attention

8.9

To sleep for a short time

Notice someone being careless when they should be paying attention

Give something small to get something much bigger later

Phrasal Verbs

389 2.7

To reach the same level as others after falling behind

to catch up
  • Informal
166 2.3

To talk with someone to share news after not seeing them for a while

To reach someone ahead of you, often passing them

90 2.5

To learn what happened while you were away

60 3.2

To become popular with many people

37 3.9

To begin to understand something after a while

To see someone or something for a very short time

32 2.6

To start burning suddenly

To do work you missed after being away to reach the same level as others

Make someone notice you or something

Stop yourself quickly from saying or doing something you might regret

To become sick with a common illness that makes your nose and throat sore

To see something for a short time, usually by chance

To surprise someone so they are not ready to react

To see someone or something suddenly and for a short time

Meet someone at a place like a park or station

14 3.2

To travel in someone else's car as a passenger

to catch that
  • Informal
11 3.0

Hear and understand what someone says when it is hard to hear

11 6.3

To show someone has made a mistake or done something wrong, often by surprise

10 1.0

To become ill with a cold after being cold or near someone sick

To ride a moving ocean wave on a surfboard

To get on a bus before it leaves

Attract someone's attention because it is interesting or noticeable

to catch wind of
  • Informal
7 5.4

Hear about something from other people before official news

5 8.2

To get a lot of blame or punishment for a mistake

to catch fire
  • Texting
5 3.7

To become very popular quickly, especially online

Shine or sparkle when light hits them

to catch it
  • Informal
3 8.3

To be punished or scolded by someone in charge

To use wind power to move something like a boat or windmill

to catch heat
  • Informal
1 8.3

To get criticism or blame from others for something you did

1 8.6

Begin to like someone in a romantic way

1 7.9

To jump high into the air while doing a sport or trick

to catch it from
  • Informal
1 8.7

Get a strong scolding from someone after doing something wrong

to catch a fade
  • Informal
1 9.9

To get a short haircut with the sides cut very short at a barbershop

To sleep for a short time, often during the day

6.8

To jump very high in sports like skiing, snowboarding, or skateboarding

To collect dust when it is not used

9.9

To get into a physical fight with someone

to catch a date
  • Informal
7.5

Manage to meet someone for a romantic time together

To catch a fish called roundeye when fishing

To get a mild illness that feels like the flu

To move at the same speed as another person

To watch a sports game, often on TV or online

To sit or lie in the sun to feel warm

to catch the sun
  • Specialized
3.6

To receive sunlight to make electricity, as solar panels do

To catch and pull many fish into a boat

Compounds

Catch-22
  • Informal
18 9.6

A situation where you cannot win because rules block every choice

catch-up
  • Informal
9 3.3

An informal meeting to share news and updates

6 3.6

A time of work to reach the same level after falling behind

The freshest fish or seafood available that day, often on a restaurant menu

2 3.8

Helps someone reach the needed level after falling behind

1 3.5

A short famous saying people often repeat about a person or show

1 4.1

A part on a gun or other weapon that stops it firing by mistake

fair catch
  • Specialized
1 7.0

A player signals and catches a punt without running and cannot be tackled

1 2.9

Seafood caught recently that is not yet cooked or preserved

by-catch
  • Specialized
1 8.0

Animals and other sea life that are caught by accident while people fish for other species

A 2002 American film by Steven Spielberg starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks

catch crop
  • Specialized
6.7

A fast-growing crop planted between main crops to use land and time well

catch pen
  • Specialized
6.3

A small fenced area that holds animals like sheep or cattle for a short time

glottal catch
  • Specialized
9.9

A quick sound made by briefly closing and opening the vocal cords before a vowel

8.6

A baseball play where an outfielder runs and grabs a ball very close to the ground

How Severe

devastation
13 5.8
to endure
304 3.5
to suffer
2.0
to catch
798 5.7
to experience
2.1

Surface Forms

catch infinitive
catching present participle
catches third person singular
caught past
caught past participle

Etymology

Catch can mean 'to get' something bad because it originally meant to seize, so to catch trouble is to get the punishment or blame that comes to you.