Catch — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

lacking a definite plan, purpose, or pattern

"we're always having drop-in guests at our beachfront cottage, and sleeping arrangements tend to be catch-as-catch-can"

to come to an awareness of

"she caught on to the fact that they were planning a surprise party"

to have a clear idea of

"he finally caught on to the concept of phototaxis"

a danger or difficulty that is hidden or not easily recognized

"the drug lowers cholesterol, but the catch-22 is that it mainly lowers good cholesterol"

a difficult, puzzling, or embarrassing situation from which there is no easy escape

"the catch-22 faced by every first-time loan applicant: how to get a loan without a credit history"

a situation in which one has to choose between two or more equally unsatisfactory choices

"an environmental catch-22: building wind farms results in scenic eyesores; not building wind farms results in greater pollution from fossil fuels"

to catch or hold as if in a net

"a young idealist who got caught up in the political fanaticism of the times"

to hold the attention of as if by a spell

"completely caught up in opera ever since he saw La Traviata"

to hold the attention of

"so caught up in the game that she didn't note the passage of time"

to give information to

"catch me up on what's been happening at the office"

to move fast enough to get even with

"I walked faster to catch up with my friends"

to turn out as planned or desired

"It is rare when a product catches fire with consumers and exceeds all expectations."

to come to a temporary halt in one's activity

"I need a second to catch my breath before we move on with this discussion."

to hold the attention of

"This necklace just caught my eye and I couldn't resist buying it."