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).

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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

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n

The manner in which an instrument is held.

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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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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grasp