Definition

1. Verb (past tense and past participle of "catch"):
   • Captured or seized: To have taken hold of something or someone, especially after pursuit.
   • Intercepted and held: To have stopped and taken possession of something moving through the air.
   • Discovered unexpectedly: To have found someone in the act of doing something, often something wrong or secret.
   • Became infected with: To have contracted an illness.
   • Became entangled or stuck: To have gotten trapped or held fast.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • The police caught the thief. (Cảnh sát đã bắt được tên trộm.)
  • She caught the ball with one hand. (Cô ấy đã bắt quả bóng bằng một tay.)
  • I was caught cheating on the test. (Tôi đã bị bắt gặp gian lận trong bài kiểm tra.)
  • He caught a cold last week. (Anh ấy đã bị cảm lạnh tuần trước.)
  • Her sleeve caught on a nail. (Tay áo của cô ấy đã bị mắc vào một cái đinh.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be caught up in something": to be involved in something, often unwillingly or unexpectedly.

  • He was caught up in the excitement of the crowd. (Anh ấy đã bị cuốn vào sự phấn khích của đám đông.)

• "to be caught between": to be in a difficult situation having to choose between two opposing things.

  • She was caught between her career and her family. (Cô ấy bị giằng xé giữa sự nghiệp và gia đình.)

• "to be caught short": to be in a situation where you lack something you need, especially money or time.

  • I was caught short and couldn't pay for the taxi. (Tôi đã bị hụt tiền và không thể trả tiền taxi.)

Variants and Related Words

• Catch (v): to capture, intercept, or discover.

  • Catch the train before it leaves. (Hãy bắt chuyến tàu trước khi nó rời đi.)

• Catchy (adj): pleasing and easily remembered.

  • That song has a very catchy tune. (Bài hát đó có giai điệu rất bắt tai.)

Synonyms

• Captured: taken into custody.
• Snared: trapped or caught, as if in a snare.
• Detected: discovered or noticed.

Related Phrasal Verbs (from the base verb "catch")

• Catch on: to become popular or to understand.

  • This new trend is starting to catch on. (Xu hướng mới này đang bắt đầu trở nên phổ biến.)

• Catch up: to reach someone who is ahead or to learn the latest news.

  • I ran to catch up with my friends. (Tôi chạy để bắt kịp bạn bè.)

Related Idioms

• Caught red-handed: discovered in the act of doing something wrong.

  • The spy was caught red-handed with the documents. (Điệp viên bị bắt quả tang với các tài liệu.)

• Caught in the crossfire: involved in a conflict between other parties.

  • Many civilians were caught in the crossfire. (Nhiều thường dân đã bị vướng vào làn đạn chéo.)

• Caught off guard: surprised and unprepared.

  • The sudden question caught him off guard. (Câu hỏi bất ngờ đã làm anh ấy mất cảnh giác.)

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