catch sb napping
informalDefinition
› If someone is caught napping, something happens to them that they are not prepared for: The goalkeeper was caught napping and the ball went straight in.Surprising and shockingMaking people sad, shocked and upset
(Definition of catch sb napping from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus
© Cambridge University Press)
Browse the Dictionary
-
catch noun (PROBLEM)
-
catch noun (SOMETHING CAUGHT)
-
catch noun (STIFFNESS)
-
catch on phrasal verb (BECOME POPULAR)
-
catch on phrasal verb (UNDERSTAND)
- catch sb napping idiom
-
catch sb off guard idiom
-
catch sb on the hop idiom
-
catch sb on the wrong foot idiom
-
catch sb out phrasal verb (CAUSE DIFFICULTY)
-
catch sb out phrasal verb (SHOW WRONG)
Browse the Thesaurus
SMART Thesaurus
Synonyms and related words:
- a blinding flash idiom
- a bolt from/out of the blue idiom
- amaze verb
- amazing adjective
- astonish verb
- confound verb
- creep up on/behind sb phrasal verb
- dynamite noun
- earth-shattering adjective
- expectation noun
- reality check noun
- shock tactics noun
- shocking adjective (SURPRISING)
- spring sth on sb phrasal verb
- staggering adjective
- turn-up for the book(s) idiom
- turn-up noun (EVENT)
- unbelievable adjective (SURPRISING)
- walk in on sb phrasal verb
- world-shattering adjective
Topic:
Surprising and shocking
Our dictionaries
Word of the Day
Blog
Read our blog about how the English language behaves.
New Words
Find words and meanings that have just started to be used in English, and let us know what you think of them.
