to catch cold

40 1.0

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

phrasal verb

: resfriarse

If you don't wear a coat in this weather, you might catch cold.
want you to catch cold
afraid you'll catch cold
fear of catching cold

You're going to catch a cold or you're going to catch cold.

Examples

You better come away from the window, you might catch cold.

The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend (1949)
I always catch cold after I've been wet or had a chill.

That Cold Day in the Park (1969)
When I was almost fifteen, Mother and I caught cold.

Fiction book (1998)
I hope you don't catch cold.

The Loft (2014)
I don't want you to catch cold.

Mikey and Nicky (1976)
You won't catch cold, will you?

Broadway Bill (1934)
But no, my only thought was I'd likely catch cold in such a damp and chilly spot.

Fiction book (1995)
You might catch cold.

Five Came Back (1939)
"Adele," he said, "get up or you'll catch cold."

Fiction book (1992)
You'll catch cold.

North to Alaska (1960)

Synonyms

to get sick

vsto catch cold

396 1.0

Become ill and have signs like fever or cough

is specific to that mild respiratory illness often after exposure or infection

to catch a cold

vsto catch cold

23 1.0

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

is the same idea but highlights exposure to cold air or infection

to sicken

vsto catch cold

13 3.0

Begin to feel ill

is focused on that mild respiratory illness rather than general illness

to take ill

vsto catch cold

10 5.6

To become sick suddenly

usually develops after exposure or infection rather than appearing suddenly

Antonyms

to recover

865 2.5

Get back to a normal state after a loss, for example health or money

How Sick

bedridden

13 4.5

down with the flu

6 3.3

to take ill

10 5.6

to catch cold

40 1.0

to feel unwell

4 1.8

Surface Forms

catch cold infinitive

catching cold present participle

catches cold third person singular

caught cold past

caught cold past participle

Morphology

catch + cold

The meaning is directly derivable from 'catch' (to become affected) + 'cold' (the illness), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer 'become ill with a cold.' This construction is cross-linguistically common (e.g. Spanish 'coger/atrapar un resfriado', French 'attraper un rhume') and follows straightforward compositional logic.

Etymology

Catch cold comes from the simple idea of catching something like a ball, but the thing you pick up is the cold, often after being wet or near someone who is sick. So it means 'to become ill with a cold'.