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Glite Dictionary
to catch air

to catch air

1 7.9
To jump high into the air while doing a sport or trick
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : saltar
  • As they sailed off the jump, the BMX riders caught air, showcasing their stunning flips.

I came up this hill and caught air and then I looked down where I'm going to land and there was a picnic table right there.

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Examples

  • The snowboarder managed to catch air while performing a thrilling trick on the halfpipe.

  • It caught air, flew above them.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • I came up this hill and caught air and then I looked down where I'm going to land and there was a picnic table right there.

    Chris Williamson

  • Another guy ran over a little girl, 9, in the neighborhood, and he also almost killed four or five of us as teenagers with a crazy stunt, driving uphill to catch air.

    Blog text (15)

  • And so your decision making of when you're going to hit that lip to catch air or to do a big turn, it all happens maybe a millisecond before you get there.

    StarTalk

  • After all, I've been jumping my entire life—mostly intertwined with some kick, flip, or twist, so I know a thing or two about catching air.

    Blog text (5)

  • She loves to catch air when she jumps off the highest ramp at the skate park.

Synonyms

to jump
vsto catch air
∞ 1.0

To push yourself off the ground with your legs into the air

focuses more on notable height and sporting tricks than a push off the ground
to leap
vsto catch air
199 1.0

To jump quickly from one place to another or make something jump

is more about reaching airborne height in sports than raw force
to soar
vsto catch air
97 1.8

To fly high and freely in the air like a bird or glider

describes a short high jump in sport rather than sustained flying or gliding
to catch big air
vsto catch air
  • Jargon
6.8

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

is about high jumps generally rather than only very large heights
to upspring
vsto catch air
  • UK
8.1

To move or grow upward quickly

emphasizes higher, sustained airborne action in sports rather than quick springs

Antonyms

to land
∞ 1.0

To come down and rest on a surface

grounded
4.4

Kept on the ground and not allowed to fly

How High

to catch big air
  • Jargon
6.8
to catch air
1 7.9
to jump
∞ 1.0
to hop
133 1.0

Surface Forms

catch air infinitive

Morphology

catch + air

The meaning 'to jump high and become airborne' is a metaphorical extension of the literal words 'catch' and 'air' — one can infer a sense of 'grabbing/meeting air' when launching off the ground. This figurative motion sense is partially predictable from the constituents but relies on a sport/trick context and idiomatic usage, so learners likely need some exposure to be fully confident.

Etymology

Catch air comes from sports like biking and skiing, where you go over a bump and your wheels or skis lift off the ground as if you catch a pocket of air. That's why it means 'to jump high' or 'to become airborne' during a trick or ride.