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Glite Dictionary
to catch sight of

to catch sight of

15 2.4
To see someone or something suddenly and for a short time
  • phrasal verb
  • /kæʧ saɪt ʌv/
translation icon : divisar
  • And then one day I caught sight of a pink dress and a pair of white stockings.
  • first caught sight of

In the course of doing these videos for you, I've seen people catch sight of an Apple on what they think is my desk.

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Examples

Synonyms

to see
vsto catch sight of
∞ 1.0

To notice something with your eyes

emphasizes sudden or brief noticing rather than general observation
to notice
vsto catch sight of
∞ 1.0

To see or become aware of something

focuses specifically on sudden or brief visual noticing rather than awareness
to glance
vsto catch sight of
299 1.5

To look quickly at someone or something

is about suddenly or briefly noticing rather than intentionally looking
to glance at
vsto catch sight of
150 2.0

Look quickly at someone or something

is used for sudden brief noticing rather than a deliberate look
to behold
vsto catch sight of
  • Archaic
131 7.6

To see something impressive, like a beautiful view or event

is about sudden or brief noticing without implying wonder or praise
to get a look
vsto catch sight of
88 2.8

To see someone or something for a short time

focuses on sudden or brief noticing rather than a longer look
to lay eyes on
vsto catch sight of
  • Informal
59 3.7

To see someone or something for the first time after a long time

is the general sudden or brief noticing not tied to timing
to catch a glimpse
vsto catch sight of
34 3.4

To see someone or something for a very short time

refers to sudden or brief noticing without stressing partial view
to sight
vsto catch sight of
26 2.8

To suddenly see something for a short time

expresses the same sudden brief noticing in everyday use
to glance over
vsto catch sight of
18 3.2

Look at something quickly without reading it carefully

is about sudden brief noticing rather than a quick superficial review
to catch sight
vsto catch sight of
16 3.0

To see something for a short time, usually by chance

is the common phrase for sudden or brief visual noticing
to espy
vsto catch sight of
  • Archaic
1 9.9

To see something partly or far away

is the general sudden brief noticing without distance emphasis
to clap eyes on
vsto catch sight of
  • Archaic
1 8.0

To see someone or something for the first time

covers sudden or brief noticing without implying first encounter
to descry
vsto catch sight of
  • Archaic
1 9.9

To see a person or thing that is hard to notice

is broader, covering sudden brief noticing not only hard sightings
to throw an eye
vsto catch sight of
  • UK
7.8

To look quickly at something

refers more to sudden or brief noticing than a casual glance

Antonyms

to overlook
243 2.9

To not notice someone or something you should see

to disregard
119 3.9

Ignore something or someone on purpose

How Visible

to observe
619 2.4
to see
∞ 1.0
to spot
576 2.1
to catch sight of
15 2.4
to glimpse
41 3.2

Surface Forms

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

Morphology

catch + sight + of

The meaning 'to see or notice briefly' is directly derivable from combining 'catch' (to get/notice briefly) with 'sight' (vision) plus the preposition 'of' — literally 'to get sight of' something. This verb + perception-noun + preposition pattern is a regular, cross-linguistically transparent composition, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will likely understand it.

Etymology

Catch sight of comes from a simple picture: your eyes catch a sight for a moment, like grabbing a quick view of something moving past. So it means 'to see' or 'notice' something suddenly or briefly.