Grasp

//ɡɹɑːsp// name, noun, verb

name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Grip. figuratively, sometimes

    "A vagrant gust of wind snatched the note from my grasp."

  2. 2
    the act of grasping wordnet
  3. 3
    Understanding.

    "There is for the mind but one grasp of happiness: from that uppermost pinnacle of wisdom, whence we see that this world is well designed."

  4. 4
    an intellectual hold or understanding wordnet
  5. 5
    That which is accessible; that which is within one's reach or ability.

    "The goal is within my grasp."

Show 2 more definitions
  1. 6
    the limit of capability wordnet
  2. 7
    understanding of the nature or meaning or quality or magnitude of something wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    To grip; to take hold, particularly with the hand.

    "How few! yet how they creep / Through my fingers to the deep, / While I weep—while I weep! / O God! can I not grasp / Them with a tighter clasp?"

  2. 2
    get the meaning of something wordnet
  3. 3
    To understand.

    "I have never been able to grasp the concept of infinity."

  4. 4
    hold firmly wordnet
  5. 5
    To take advantage of something, to seize, to jump at a chance.
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    Acronym of General Responsibility Assignment Software Patterns (or Principles). abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
  2. 2
    Acronym of Gamepedia Rapid Anti-Spam Patrol. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of

Synonyms

All synonyms
claspcompasscomprehendcomprehendgriphold

Example

More examples

"Some people find it easier to grasp the short-term effects of smoking."

Etymology

From Middle English graspen, grapsen, craspen (“to grope; feel around”), from Old English *grǣpsian, from Proto-West Germanic *graipisōn, from Proto-Germanic *graipisōną, from Proto-Indo-European *gʰrebʰ- (“to take, seize, rake”), the same ultimate source as grab. Cognate with Saterland Frisian grapsje (“to grab, grasp”), German Low German grapsen (“to grab; grasp”), German grapsen and grapschen, Old English grāpian ("to touch, feel, grasp"; > Modern English grope). Compare also Swedish krafsa (“to scatch; scabble”), Norwegian krafse (“to scramble”).

Related phrases

a drowning man will grasp at a strawa drowning man will grasp at strawsbeyond someone's graspgrasp at a strawgrasp at strawsgrasp for strawsgrasp the nettlelight grasptripod grasptake advantage

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.