to catch (someone) napping
1
7.5
- idiom
- I managed to catch him napping on the couch when I got home from work.
Examples
-
I had been caught napping.
Fiction book (1992) -
One day I'll catch him napping.
-
Well, I said I'd send you home if I caught you napping again, but a boy who knows all about electricity...
-
John Saunders, what did I tell you I would do if I caught you napping again?
-
During the exam, the teacher caught the student catching her napping and quickly moved to wake her up.
-
If you don't stay alert, you'll be caught napping when the boss asks for updates.
Synonyms
1
4.0
To surprise someone so they are not ready to react
Antonyms
How Unprepared
622
2.0
132
5.5
1
7.5
1
4.0
712
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal parts 'catch' (to find/seize) and 'napping' (sleeping/unaware) transparently combine to the idea of finding someone unprepared or off guard, so a learner who knows the words can often infer the intended meaning. However, the phrase uses a metaphorical extension (not necessarily literal sleeping) and requires pragmatic/contextual inference, so the relation is not fully predictable without exposure.
Etymology
Catch someone napping comes from the clear picture of finding a person asleep: to catch someone while they are napping and not paying attention. So, it means 'to find someone off guard or not ready'.