grasp

(grăsp)

v., grasped, grasp·ing, grasps.

v.tr.

1. To take hold of or seize firmly with or as if with the hand.
2. To clasp firmly with or as if with the hand.
3. To take hold of intellectually; comprehend. See synonyms at apprehend.

v.intr.

1. To make a motion of seizing, snatching, or clutching.
2. To show eager and prompt willingness or acceptance: grasps at any opportunity.

n.

1. The act of grasping.
2. 1. A firm hold or grip.
   2. An embrace.
3. The ability or power to seize or attain; reach: Victory in the election was within her grasp.
4. Understanding; comprehension: "only a vague intuitive grasp of the meaning of greatness in literature" (Gilbert Highet).

[Middle English graspen.]

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verb

1. To take firmly with the hand and maintain a hold on: clasp, clench, clutch¹, grab, grapple, grip, seize. See keep/release.
2. To perceive directly with the intellect: apprehend, compass, comprehend, fathom, know, understand. Scots ken. See knowledge/ignorance.
3. To perceive and recognize the meaning of: accept, apprehend, catch (on), compass, comprehend, conceive, fathom, follow, get, make out, read, see, sense, take, take in, understand. Informal savvy. Slang dig. Chiefly British twig. Scots ken. Idioms: gethavea handle on, get the picture. See understand/misunderstand.

noun

1. An act or means of holding something: clasp, clench, clutch¹, grip, hold. Sports grapple. See keep/release.
2. Firm control: grip, hold. See control/uncontrol.
3. A strong or powerful influence: grip, hold. See affect/ineffectiveness.
4. The ability or power to seize or attain: capacity, compass, range, reach, scope. See ability/inability.
5. Intellectual hold: apprehension, comprehension, grip, hold, understanding. Informal savvy. See knowledge/ignorance.

Idioms beginning with grasp:
grasp at straws

In addition to the idiom beginning with grasp, also see get a fix on (grasp of).

n

Definition: hold, grip
Antonyms: avoidance, release

n

Definition: understanding
Antonyms: ignorance, misconception, miss, misunderstanding

v

Definition: grab, hold
Antonyms: let go, release

v

Definition: understand
Antonyms: miss, misunderstand, not get, overlook

IN BRIEF: To seize or clutch. Also: To understand.

The mind has exactly the same power as the hands: not merely to grasp the world, but to change it. — Colin Wilson.

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n

The manner in which an instrument is held.

For a list of words related to grasp, see:

• Knowledge and Understanding - grasp: comprehend
• Reason and Rationale - grasp: comprehension

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See words rhyming with "grasp."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Grasp.

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Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - forstå, gribe, gribe fat om, gribe fat i
v. intr. - holde fast
n. - tag, rækkevidde, magt, forståelse

idioms:

• grasp at a straw    gribe efter et halmstrå
• grasp the nettle    gribe fat om nælden
• within one's grasp    inden for ens rækkevidde

Nederlands (Dutch)
vatten, begrijpen, (vast)grijpen, greep, begrip

Français (French)
v. tr. - empoigner, saisir, (fig) saisir (une occasion), comprendre, suivre, se rendre compte de (d'une situation)
v. intr. - tenter de saisir, (fig) s'efforcer de comprendre
n. - prise, poigne, maîtrise (d'un sujet), notions

idioms:

• grasp at a straw    se raccrocher désespérément à un semblant d'espoir
• grasp the nettle    prendre le taureau par les cornes, y aller carrément
• within one's grasp    à sa portée

Deutsch (German)
v. - erfassen, begreifen, greifen, ergreifen, sich klammern
n. - Auffassungsgabe, Griff, Verständnis

idioms:

• grasp at a straw    sich an einen Strohhalm klammern
• grasp the nettle    etwas Unangenehmes schnell u. entschieden angehen, das Problem beherzt anpacken
• within one's grasp    im Bereich des Möglichen

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - αρπάζω, γραπώνω, κατανοώ, αντιλαμβάνομαι
n. - (γερή) λαβή, πιάσιμο, σφίξιμο, (σαφής) αντίληψη, γνώση, άσκηση εξουσίας

idioms:

• grasp at a straw    πιάνομαι απ' όπου μπορώ
• grasp the nettle    πιάνω τον ταύρο από τα κέρατα
• within one's grasp    μέσα στις δυνατότητές μου

Italiano (Italian)
afferrare, capire, agguantare, aggrapparsi, comprensione, presa

idioms:

• grasp at a straw    aggrapparsi a una pagliuzza
• grasp the nettle    prendere il toro per le corna
• within one's grasp    a portata di mano

Português (Portuguese)
v. - agarrar, compreender, apertar
n. - aperto, alcance, compreensão, posse

idioms:

• grasp at a straw    agarrar-se a uma palha
• within one's grasp    ao alcance de alguém

Русский (Russian)
схватывать, постичь, усвоить, зажимать (в руке), схватывание, хватка, способность быстрого понимания, рукоятка, зажим

idioms:

• grasp at a straw    хвататься за соломинку
• grasp the nettle    смело браться за трудное дело
• within one's grasp    в пределах досягаемости

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - captar, comprender, entender, sujetar, agarrar, asir, apretar, estrechar, agarrarse, asirse, aferrarse
v. intr. - intentar asir o aferrarse a algo
n. - alcance, asimiento, apretón, comprensión

idioms:

• grasp at a straw    asirse a cualquier cosa en el colmo de la desesperación, agarrarse a un clavo ardiendo, agarrarse de un pelo
• grasp the nettle    abordar una dificultad de forma directa, coger el toro por los cuernos
• within one's grasp    al alcance de uno

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - fatta (tag i), gripa om, begripa
n. - grepp, herravälde över, förståelse, handtag

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
抓住, 领会, 紧握, 抓, 掌握, 抓紧

idioms:

• grasp at a straw    捞救命稻草, 做最后的挣扎
• grasp the nettle    迎着困难上
• within one's grasp    在某人能抓到的地方

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 抓住, 領會, 緊握
v. intr. - 抓
n. - 抓住, 掌握, 抓緊

idioms:

• grasp at a straw    撈救命稻草, 做最後的掙扎
• grasp the nettle    迎著困難上
• within one's grasp    在某人能抓到的地方

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - 잡다, 이해하다
v. intr. - 잡다, 잡으려고 하다
n. - 잡기, 이해력, 지배, 손잡이

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - つかむ, 理解する, つかもうとする, 飛びつく, 握る
n. - つかむこと, 理解, 掌握, 支配, 所有

idioms:

• grasp at a straw    藁にも縋る
• grasp the nettle    進んで困難と戦う
• within one's grasp    声の届く所に

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يفهم, يستوعب, يلتقط‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮תפס, לפת, הבין, קיבל בלהיטות, קפץ על‬
v. intr. - ‮ניסה לתפוס‬
n. - ‮אחיזה, תפיסה, השגה, קלות-תפיסה שכלית, שליטה במצב‬

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