grasp Hear it!

grasp Definition

grasp (grasp, gräsp)

transitive verb

  1. to take hold of firmly with or as with the hand or arms; grip
  2. to take hold of eagerly or greedily; seize
  3. to take hold of mentally; understand; comprehend

Etymology: ME graspen, by metathesis < *grapsen, prob. < MLowG (as in LowG, Fris grapsen), akin to Norw dial. grapsa, to scratch, ON grapa, to snatch: see grab

intransitive verb

  1. to reach for and try to seize: with at
  2. to accept eagerly: with at

noun

  1. the act of grasping; grip or clasp of the hand or arms
  2. a firm hold; control; possession
  3. the power to hold or seize; reach
  4. power of understanding; comprehension

grasp Related Forms
grasp·able adjective grasper noun
grasp Synonyms

grasp

v.

  1. To clutch

    seize, take, grip, clasp; see seize 1, 2.

  2. To comprehend

    perceive, apprehend, follow; see understand 1. See syn. study at seize.

grasp Synonyms

grasp

n.

hold, clutch, cinch; see grip 2.

grasp Usage Examples

Object

  • nettle: Senior Labor politicians are saying we should grasp the taxation nettle to help our public services.
  • concept: We will support your efforts to grasp the concepts.
  • significance: No need to grasp beforehand the significance of the whole.
  • hand-hold: Whoever rejects evil and believes in God has indeed grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold that never breaks.
  • meaning: Today we have barely begun to grasp the meaning of the words.
  • truth: By our own understanding we would never grasp this truth.

Converse of object

  • demonstrate: You should demonstrate a clear grasp of the budgetary implications of the project.

Preposition: at

  • straw: It wasn't much, but drowning men grasp at straws and this was the first straw in 3 1/2 years.

Adjective modifier

  • tenuous: Children sometimes have a tenuous grasp of where food comes from, for example the belief that ' chips come from London ' .
  • rudimentary: At that time, the CPI consisted of barely a few dozen cadres with only a rudimentary grasp of Marxism and Bolshevik functioning.
  • intuitive: Unlike the experts, most people have an intuitive grasp of the social meaning of genetics.
  • thorough: He is on very solid ground, his thorough grasp of historical theology having already been ably demonstrated in earlier writings.
  • instinctive: Tony Blair's instinctive grasp of these class interests underlies his zealous advocacy of US imperialism.
  • shaky: Such an assumption belies a shaky grasp of what genes actually do.

Noun used with modifier

  • firm: A second PDS is placed in the same manner to achieve a firm grasp of the CA ligament.

Used with why or when

  • what: I didn't fully grasp what she was talking about.

Preposition: of

  • grammar: A basic grasp of grammar is all that is necessary for your course.
  • reality: People will start to question our grasp of reality, or think we are being deliberately obtuse.
  • concept: In fact, I doubt that you would ever be able to get a fundamental grasp of such concepts.
  • math: The course depends heavily on detailed mathematical calculation and students without a good grasp of basic maths will find that they struggle.
grasp Quotes

Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for?

—Browning, Robert

Browse dictionary entries near grasp

  1. GRAS
  2. grapy
  3. grapple
  4. grappa
  5. grapnel
  6. -graphy
  7. graphology
  8. grapho-
  9. graphitize
  10. graphite
  1. grasping
  2. grass
  3. grass carp
  4. grass cloth
  5. grass roots
  6. grass snake
  7. grass tree
  8. grass widow
  9. grass widower
  10. grasshopper