catch on
UK /kæt͡ʃ ˈɒn/ · US /kɛt͡ʃ ˈɑn/ verb
Forms catches on catching on caught on
- verb (transitive (reflexive), Ireland (especially Northern Ireland), informal) 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.
- verb Chiefly followed by to: to cling or hold on to something; to get stuck on something; to take hold.
- verb (New England, cooking, dated) Of food being cooked: to become stuck to the cooking vessel and brown or burn slightly.
- verb Of an idea, a thing, etc.: to become fashionable or popular; also, to become established as standard; to become commonplace. “It’s a crummy idea, and I certainly hope it doesn’t catch on.”
- verb Followed by to: to recognize the potential of something; also, to take advantage of or use something (especially an idea, a trend, etc.).
- verb (originally US, informal) Chiefly followed by to: to (begin to) understand; to realize. “He didn’t have to explain; I caught on right away.”
Synonyms
cotton on glom on get wise get onto tumble latch on twig get it
Antonyms
Etymology
From catch (verb) + on (preposition).
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “catch on”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details