Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

catch on

/kɛt͡ʃ ˈɑn/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.87 in modern English

Syllables: catch on
IPA: /kɛt͡ʃ ˈɑn/

14

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

1

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

Chiefly in the form catch oneself on: to cause (oneself) to get or regain a proper appreciation of a situation; to behave in the expected, sensible way; to stop fooling around or being silly.

Informal

verb

Chiefly followed by to: to cling or hold on to something; to get stuck on something; to take hold.

Intransitive verb

verb

Chiefly followed by to: to cling or hold on to something; to get stuck on something; to take hold.

Dated; Intransitive verb

verb

Of an idea, a thing, etc.: to become fashionable or popular; also, to become established as standard; to become commonplace.

Intransitive verb

verb

Followed by to: to recognize the potential of something; also, to take advantage of or use something (especially an idea, a trend, etc.).

Intransitive verb

verb

Chiefly followed by to: to (begin to) understand; to realize.

Informal; Intransitive verb

Example Sentences

"Big Pat's still wearing his hair like two floppy ears on a dog. He's amazing: wouldn't you think his wife or someone would tell him to catch himself on."
"Every other man in town might have walked over that plank, and it wouldn't gin away. I walked over that plank last night, and airly this morning. I see, when I stepped on to it, that somebody had been a movin' on it; but I didn't know the 'tother eend was only just ketched on to the rock."
"He meant to drift altogether and literally, body and soul, like a detached leaf drifting in the wind-currents under the immovable trees of a forest glade; to drift without ever catching on to anything."
"For ectozoic dispersal the disseminule is commonly adhesive by means of a sticky surface or, more often, by its possession of hooks or other devices by which it catches on to the fur etc. Anyone who has tried to extract the fruits of Burdocks (Arctium spp.) or Beggar-ticks (Bides spp.) from woolly garments will be aware of the effectiveness of such adhesion."
"When we stand by the fireplace at Arrows, it's not hard to imagine the ancestor of our farm standing around an iron pot and tending the well-kept fire, taking in the aromas of cooking that filled the room. They waited for the pot roast to "catch on," sticking to the pot just enough to brown, giving the gravy a richness and a savory flavor that coats the lips."
"It’s a crummy idea, and I certainly hope it doesn’t catch on."

Etymology

From catch (verb) + on (preposition).

Word Breakdown

Root: *kap-

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /kɛt͡ʃ ˈɑn/
British English: /kæt͡ʃ ˈɒn/

Usage

Inflected Forms

catches on (present, singular) catching on (participle, present) caught on (participle, past) caught on (past)

Phrases

catch fire catch on fire catch up

Frequently Paired Words

catch fire catch on fire catch up

Synonyms

cotton on glom on get wise get onto tumble latch on twig get it

Antonyms

go out of fashion go the way of the dinosaurs

Rhymes With

on one time on got it going on john son won gone upon build on none sir john

Questions

How do you pronounce catch on?: The recorded pronunciation is /kɛt͡ʃ ˈɑn/.
What does catch on mean?: Chiefly in the form catch oneself on: to cause (oneself) to get or regain a proper appreciation of a situation; to behave in the expected, sensible way; to stop fooling around or being silly.
Where does catch on come from?: From catch (verb) + on (preposition).

How to pronounce catch on

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “catch on”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/kɛt͡ʃ ˈɑn/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “catch on”.
Repeat and practice — Say “catch on” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.