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
-
graspernoun
-
regraspverb (used with object)
-
graspableadjective
-
grasplessadjective
-
ungraspableadjective
-
ungraspedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
graspsimple
-
graspssimple
-
have graspedperfect
-
has graspedperfect
-
am graspingprogressive
-
are graspingprogressive
-
is graspingprogressive
-
have been graspingperfect progressive
-
has been graspingperfect progressive
Past
-
graspedsimple
-
had graspedperfect
-
was graspingprogressive
-
were graspingprogressive
-
had been graspingperfect progressive
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.
See Examples For:
In comparison, the Sparks, without an offensive rebound until the end of the third quarter, were forced to make perfect shots, though that was far from the team’s grasp.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged countries to grasp the nettle.
From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026
We’re only starting to grasp the pitfalls of using AI at work.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
The sheer volume of information suggests that, by pre-modern standards, the Mughal state had a remarkably sophisticated grasp of its sprawling empire.
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026
The dragon latched her teeth onto the Mirror and ripped it from their grasp, realizing too late that she’d been set up.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
Instead, he’s looking for someone who grasps the findings of a workpaper with the assistance of AI.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
Although she grasps the issues that can arise with the product, she says, most of her life is pretty well documented anyway.
From Slate ● Feb. 12, 2026
"Her friends come every few days. No one fully grasps the idea that she is now dead."
From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2025
She also grasps that comedy reigns on the Internet.
From Salon ● Nov. 4, 2025
Lincoln steps past the sentry boxes, grasps the wrought-iron railing, and marches up the steps into the Confederate White House.
From "Lincoln's Last Days: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever" by Bill O'Reilly
Kingsley looks at me, gauging if I’ve grasped the heartbreak of the moment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
If you’ve ever fancied a gondola ride through Venice’s famous canals, now might be the time—many Americans have already grasped the opportunity this summer.
From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026
To get solar panels because you’ve grasped the moral tragedy of climate change, not because your neighbor Larry’s roof looks kind of fab with them.
From Slate ● May 15, 2026
At Operation Warp Speed, Palantir’s Julie Bush grasped the project’s operational requirements and translated them into technical specifications that Palantir engineers could utilize.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026
Underneath the table, I grasped my hands tightly to still their trembling.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Or "who is your team at the Cup?" without grasping it's the World Cup.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
One reason for the fascination with Musk’s status as a “trillionaire” may be the very human difficulty of grasping such a big number.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
Cynics argue this is deliberate obfuscation; impenetrable language keeps average investors from seeing the simplicity of the underlying concepts or grasping unfavorable conditions.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
It’s possible to hold on to two truths at once and recognize the distinct unease of such grasping, I told my friend.
From Salon ● May 14, 2026
Somehow I got to the shotgun, and with something between groping and grasping, I managed to get the thing pointed in the general direction of the bear, but way high—I didn’t want to hit him.
From This Side of Wild by Gary Paulsen
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.
