catch
verbVerb Forms
Idioms Phrasal Verbs| present simple I / you / we / they catch | |
| he / she / it catches | |
| past simple caught | |
| past participle caught | |
| -ing form catching |
- [transitive, intransitive] catch (something/somebody)
to stop and hold a moving object or person, especially in your hands 接住；截住；拦住 She managed to catch the keys as they fell. 她接住了落下的钥匙。 I caught him when he fell. 他摔倒时我抓住了他。 The dog caught the stick in its mouth. 狗衔住了木棍。 I threw the bag in the air and she caught it. 我把包扔到空中，她接住了。 ‘Throw me over that towel, will you?’ ‘OK. Catch!’ “请你把毛巾扔过来好吗？” “好，接住！”
- [transitive] catch something
to hold a liquid when it falls 接（落下的液体） - [transitive] catch somebody/something (+ adv./prep.)
to take hold of somebody/something 抓住；握住 - [transitive] catch something
to be in time for a bus, train, plane, etc. and get on it 赶上（公共汽车、火车、飞机等） to catch a bus/train/flight 赶上公共汽车/火车/航班 We caught the 12.15 from Oxford. 我们赶上了 12:15 从牛津发出的火车。 I must go—I have a train to catch. 我得走了，我要赶火车。
Extra ExamplesTopics Transport by bus and traina2, Transport by aira2After a while they left to catch their bus. 过了一会儿，他们去赶公共汽车了。 He was still hoping to catch the 8.30 ferry. 他仍然希望能赶上8点30分的渡船。 If you want to catch that bus, you'd better hurry! 如果你想赶上那辆公共汽车，你最好快点！ Then she had to leave to catch her plane. 然后她不得不离开去赶飞机。 He was thinking of catching a plane home. 他在考虑赶飞机回家。
- [transitive] catch somebody/something
to capture a person or an animal that tries or would try to escape 逮住；捕捉；捕获 The murderer was never caught. 这个杀人犯一直未抓到。 Our cat is hopeless at catching mice. 我们的猫绝对捉不到老鼠。 How many fish did you catch? 你捕到几条鱼？ The police say they are doing all they can to catch the culprits. 警方说他们正全力缉拿罪犯。
- [transitive]
to get an illness 得病；染疾 - catch something
It is unusual to catch measles more than once. 不止一次得麻疹是不寻常的。 - catch something from somebody
I think I must have caught this cold from you. 我的感冒想必是你传染的。
- catch something
- [transitive] catch somebody’s attention, imagination, interest, etc.
if something catches your attention, etc., you notice it and feel interested in it 引起，激发（兴趣、想象、注意等） A sign on the wall caught my attention. 墙上的一个标志引起了我的注意。 Over the years, the mystery has caught the popular imagination. 这些年来，这个谜抓住了大众的想象力。 There was one story in particular that caught her interest. 有一个故事特别引起了她的兴趣。
- [transitive] catch something
to notice something only for a moment 察觉；瞥见 - [transitive] catch something
to hear or understand something 听清楚；领会 - [transitive]
to find or discover somebody doing something, especially something wrong 当场发现（或发觉） - catch somebody doing something
I caught her smoking in the bathroom. 我撞见她在盥洗室里抽烟。 You wouldn't catch me working (= I would never work) on a Sunday! 你绝对不会看到我在星期日工作！ - catch yourself doing something
She caught herself wondering whether she had made a mistake. 她发觉自己在怀疑是否犯了错误。 - catch somebody + adv./prep.
He was caught with bomb-making equipment in his home. 他被发现家里藏有制造炸弹的设备。 Mark walked in and caught them at it (= in the act of doing something wrong). 马克走了进去，当场发现他们正在干坏事。 thieves caught in the act 偷窃时被当场抓住的窃贼 You've caught me at a bad time (= at a time when I am busy). 你现在来找我可不是时候。
- catch somebody doing something
- [transitive] catch somebody/something
to be in time to do something, talk to somebody, etc. 及时做（或谈等） I caught him just as he was leaving the building. 他正要离开大楼时，我追上了他。 I was hoping to catch you at home (= to see you at home when you were there). 我本希望赶上你在家的时候给你打电话。 The illness can be treated provided it's caught (= discovered) early enough. 此病若及早发现是可医治的。 - (British English)
to catch the post (= post letters before the box is emptied) （寄信）赶上邮局的收信时刻 - (British English, informal)
Bye for now! I'll catch you later (= speak to you again later). 再见！下次再谈。 You've caught me at a bad time. 你现在来找我可不是时候。
- [transitive] catch something (informal, especially North American English)
to see or hear something; to attend something 看见；听到；出席；参加 Let's eat now and maybe we could catch a movie later. 咱们现在就吃吧，也许还能赶上一场电影。 Did you catch that show on the radio? 你听那个广播节目了吗？
Synonyms seesee- spot
- catch
- glimpse
- see to become aware of somebody/something by using your eyes:
She looked for him but couldn’t see him in the crowd. 她在人群里找来找去，但没看见他。 He could see (that) she had been crying. 他看得出她哭过。
- spot to see or notice somebody/something, especially suddenly or when they are not easy to see or notice:
I’ve just spotted a mistake on the front cover. 我刚才在封面上发现了一处错误。
- catch to see or notice something for a moment, but not clearly or completely:
She caught sight of a car in the distance. 她瞥见远处有一辆车。 He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. 他看了一眼镜子中的自己。
- glimpse (literary
) to see somebody/something for a moment, but not clearly or completely: 指瞥见、看一眼： He’d glimpsed her through the window as he passed. 他路过时透过窗户瞥见了她。
- to see/spot that/how/what/where/who…
- to suddenly see/spot/glimpse somebody/something
- [transitive] catch somebody
to happen unexpectedly and put somebody in a difficult situation 使突然遭受 - [intransitive, transitive]
to become stuck in or on something; to make something become stuck （被）钩住，夹住，绊住 - [transitive]
to hit somebody/something 击中；打 - [transitive, intransitive] catch (fire)
to begin to burn 烧着；着（火） - [transitive] catch something
if something catches the light or the light catches it, the light shines on it and makes it shine too （光）照射；受到（光的）照射 The knife gleamed as it caught the light. 刀在光照下闪闪发亮。 A colourful glow appears as the light catches the glass. 玻璃杯在光照下透出斑斓的光彩。
- [transitive] catch the sun (informal)
if you catch the sun, you become red or brown because of spending time in the sun 晒黑；晒红；晒成棕色 - [transitive] catch something
to show or describe something accurately 逼真再现；准确描绘 - [transitive] catch somebody
to make a player unable to continue batting by catching the ball they have hit before it touches the ground （在球落地前）接住球
hold接住
bus/train/plane公共汽车；火车；飞机
capture捉住
illness疾病
interest兴趣
notice注意到
hear/understand听见；理解
somebody doing something某人正做某事
be in time及时
see/hear看见；听到
happen unexpectedly意外地发生
become stuck被缠住
hit打
burn燃烧
light光
the sun太阳
show accurately逼真地显示
in cricket板球
Word OriginMiddle English (also in the sense ‘chase’): from Anglo-Norman French and Old Northern French cachier, variant of Old French chacier, based on Latin captare ‘try to catch’, from capere ‘take’.
Idioms
be/get caught in the middle
to be involved in an argument or fight between two other people or groups 烧着；着（火） When they quarrel, I am often caught in the middle. 他们争吵时，我常常夹在中间左右为难。
be caught short
(British English also be taken short)
- (British English, informal)
to suddenly feel a strong need to go to the toilet 突然感觉要上厕所；内急 to be put at a disadvantage 被置于不利地位
be (caught) in a cleft stick
to be in a difficult situation when any action you take will have bad results 进退维谷；陷入困境
(caught/stuck) between a rock and a hard place
in a situation where you have to choose between two things, both of which are unpleasant 进退两难；左右为难
catch your breath
to stop breathing for a moment because of fear, shock, etc. （由于恐惧、震惊等）屏息，屏气 When he said he had resigned, I caught my breath in surprise. 他说他已经辞职时，我惊讶得喘不上气来。
- (also get your breath (again/back) British English)
to start to be able to breathe normally again after running or doing exercise that makes you tired （跑或激烈运动后）喘口气
catch a cold
to become ill with a cold 患重感冒 - (informal)
to have problems 患重感冒 The film caught a cold over the outstanding debt. 这部电影因未偿债务而受到冷遇。
catch your death (of cold)
- (old-fashioned, informal)
to catch a very bad cold 患重感冒
catch somebody’s eye
catch/take somebody’s fancy
catch it (British English)
(North American English catch hell, get it)
catch somebody napping
to get an advantage over somebody by doing something when they are not expecting it and not ready for it 使人措手不及；乘其不备
catch somebody on the hop
- (informal)
to surprise somebody by doing something when they are not expecting it and not ready for it 使某人措手不及
catch/touch somebody on the raw
- (British English)
to upset somebody by reminding them of something they are particularly sensitive about 触到某人的痛处；揭某人的疮疤
catch somebody red-handed
to catch somebody in the act of doing something wrong or committing a crime 当场抓住；现场捕获
catch somebody with their pants down
(British English also catch somebody with their trousers down)
- (informal)
to arrive or do something when somebody is not expecting it and not ready, especially when they are in an embarrassing situation 使突陷窘境；乘人措手不及；出其不意；冷不防
the early bird catches the worm
- (saying)
the person who takes the opportunity to do something before other people will have an advantage over them 捷足先登；捷足先得
(catch/throw somebody) off balance
to make somebody unsteady and in danger of falling 使失去平衡（而有跌落危险） to make somebody surprised and no longer calm 使（毫无准备而）不知所措
(put/catch somebody) on the back foot
(to put somebody) at a disadvantage or in difficulty 被置于不利地位 Advances in drone technology have caught lawmakers on the back foot. 无人机技术的进步让立法者措手不及。 The side that’s on the back foot, struggling to defend, will usually give away more penalties. 后脚的一方，努力防守，通常会罚更多的点球。 We'd like to put the fossil fuel industry on the back foot. 我们希望把化石燃料产业放在后面。