grasp
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
-
the act of grasping or gripping, as with the hands or arms.
to make a grasp at something.
-
a hold or grip.
to have a firm grasp of a rope.
-
one's arms or hands, in embracing or gripping.
He took her in his grasp.
-
one's power of seizing and holding; reach.
to have a thing within one's grasp.
-
hold, possession, or mastery.
to wrest power from the grasp of a usurper.
- Synonyms:
- clutches
-
mental hold or capacity; power to understand.
- Synonyms:
- comprehension, apprehension, understanding
-
broad or thorough comprehension.
a good grasp of computer programming.
verb
-
to grip (something) firmly with or as if with the hands
-
to struggle, snatch, or grope (for)
-
(tr) to understand, esp with effort
noun
-
the act of grasping
-
a grip or clasp, as of a hand
-
the capacity to accomplish (esp in the phrase within one's grasp )
-
total rule or possession
-
understanding; comprehension
Synonym Usage
See catch. Grasp, reach refer to the power of seizing, either concretely or figuratively. Grasp suggests actually seizing and closing the hand upon something (or, figuratively, thoroughly comprehending something) and therefore refers to what is within one's possession or immediate possibility of possession: a good grasp of a problem; immense mental grasp. Reach suggests a stretching out of (usually) the hand to touch, strike, or, if possible, seize something; it therefore refers to a potentiality of possession that requires an effort. Figuratively, it implies perhaps a faint conception of something still too far beyond one to be definitely and clearly understood.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
grasplessadjective
-
ungraspedadjective
-
graspableadjective
-
ungraspableadjective
-
graspernoun
-
regraspverb (used with object)
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has graspedperfect 3rd person singular
-
have graspedperfect
-
am graspingprogressive 1st person singular
-
are graspingprogressive
-
has been graspingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
have been graspingperfect progressive
-
is graspingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
graspingparticiple
-
graspssingular 3rd person
Past
-
had graspedperfect
-
were graspingprogressive plural
-
was graspingprogressive singular
-
had been graspingperfect progressive
-
graspedparticiple
-
graspedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of grasp
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English graspen, grapsen; cognate with Low German grapsen; akin to Old English gegræppian “to seize” ( see grapple)
Explanation
To grasp is to get a hold of something, literally or figuratively. Grasp the grammar textbook with both hands and then read it to grasp the rules of the English language. It makes sense that the word grasp means understanding a concept since you are "getting a hold of an idea" just as you would grasp something tangible to hold. Grasp is good for when you're talking about comprehending the scale of something, or the full picture of a multi-faceted problem or idea. You might know that there is going to be a heat wave, but you may not grasp the idea of its relationship to global warming.
Vocabulary lists containing grasp
"Mending Wall," by Robert Frost
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Beowulf vocabulary
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Excerpt from "The Diary of Anne Frank"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Satellite technology, for instance, is being used to grasp global crude inventories “in great detail,” he said.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
Xi added that he had reached an "important consensus" with Kim to "grasp the trend of the times" and deepen both high-level exchanges and people-to-people bonds.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
His left hand clutches a silver teapot in a gesture midway between a caress and a grasp.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
Turkmenistan's ruling duo -- Gurbanguly and Serdar Berdymukhamedov -- hold a tight grasp on power.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
Lily breaks away from her mother’s grasp and scampers down the hallway.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
