Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:
/kæt͡ʃ ˈɒn/
Play
General-American:
/kɛt͡ʃ ˈɑn/
Play
General-American:
/kæt͡ʃ-/
Play
General-American:
Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Play
Australia:
Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Play
rhymes with -ɒn
Play
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.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic, informal
Qualifier: transitive (reflexive); Ireland (especially Northern Ireland); transitive (reflexive); Ireland (especially Northern Ireland)
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Chiefly followed by to: to cling or hold on to something; to get stuck on something; to take hold.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic, intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Chiefly followed by to: to cling or hold on to something; to get stuck on something; to take hold.
Of food being cooked: to become stuck to the cooking vessel and brown or burn slightly.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: New-England, dated, idiomatic, intransitive
Topics: cooking, food, lifestyle
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Of an idea, a thing, etc.: to become fashionable or popular; also, to become established as standard; to become commonplace.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic, intransitive
Examples
It’s a crummy idea, and I certainly hope it doesn’t catch on. At first, many people didn’t like that kind of music, but after a while it caught on.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: go out of fashion, go the way of the dinosaurs
Followed by to: to recognize the potential of something; also, to take advantage of or use something (especially an idea, a trend, etc.).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic, intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Chiefly followed by to: to (begin to) understand; to realize.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic, informal, intransitive
Examples
He didn’t have to explain; I caught on right away. She’s been catching on pretty well.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: cotton on, glom on
Antonyms: none provided
become popular
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
This fashion caught on in Paris
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: change
understand, usually after some initial difficulty
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
She didn't know what her classmates were plotting but finally caught on
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: get wise, get onto, tumble, latch on, cotton on, twig, get it
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: grok, get the picture, comprehend, savvy, dig, grasp, compass, apprehend
From catch (verb) + on (preposition).
Across languages
Translations 18 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Finnish :
tarttua
— of food being cooked: to become stuck to the cooking vessel and brown or burn slightly
Finnish :
paahtua kiinni
— of food being cooked: to become stuck to the cooking vessel and brown or burn slightly
Finnish :
tarttua
— of an idea, a thing, etc.: to become fashionable or popular
French :
se répandre
— of an idea, a thing, etc.: to become fashionable or popular
Italian :
attecchire
— of an idea, a thing, etc.: to become fashionable or popular
Italian :
diffondersi
— of an idea, a thing, etc.: to become fashionable or popular
Italian :
prendere piede
— of an idea, a thing, etc.: to become fashionable or popular
Polish :
przyjmować się
— of an idea, a thing, etc.: to become fashionable or popular
Polish :
przyjąć się
— of an idea, a thing, etc.: to become fashionable or popular
Polish :
zatrybiać
— of an idea, a thing, etc.: to become fashionable or popular
Polish :
zatrybić
— of an idea, a thing, etc.: to become fashionable or popular
Spanish :
calar
— of an idea, a thing, etc.: to become fashionable or popular
Spanish :
cuajar
— of an idea, a thing, etc.: to become fashionable or popular
Spanish :
diquelar
— of an idea, a thing, etc.: to become fashionable or popular
Spanish :
pegar
— of an idea, a thing, etc.: to become fashionable or popular
Spanish :
prosperar
— of an idea, a thing, etc.: to become fashionable or popular
Finnish :
tunnustaa
— to recognize the potential of something
Finnish :
hyödyntää
— to recognize the potential of something
