grasp

grasp — 動詞

1. to suddenly take and hold someone or something tightly with your hand or hands,

1.動詞及物B1
釋義

抓住；緊握

用手突然且用力地抓住

to suddenly take and hold someone or something tightly with your hand or hands, often in a quick or forceful way.

例句

Andrew grasped the rope with both hands and pulled himself up.

Andrew 雙手抓住繩子，把自己拉了上來。

grasped + with both hands

The firefighter grasped the child's wrist just before she slipped off the ledge.

消防員在那個小孩滑下窗台前抓住了她的手腕。

grasp + body part (wrist)

同義詞
  • grab

    more sudden and rough; less controlled than grasp

  • seize

    more forceful and often implies taking by force

  • clutch

    suggests holding tightly out of fear or urgency

  • grip

    emphasises the strength of the hold rather than the taking

反義詞

文法句型

grasp + noun phrase

用法筆記

Commonly used with body parts (wrist, arm, hand) or objects (rope, railing, handle) as the object. The adverb 'tightly' frequently accompanies this sense.

常見錯誤

❌Ryan holded the rope and pulled up.
✅Ryan grasped the rope and pulled himself up.
💡'grasp' implies a sudden, firm hold, not just holding.
❌She grasped onto the handle carefully.
✅She grasped the handle carefully.
💡'onto' is redundant; 'grasp' already includes the sense of taking hold.

2. to eagerly accept an opportunity or advantage the moment it appears, without hes

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

把握；抓住

毫不猶豫地善用出現的機會

to eagerly accept an opportunity or advantage the moment it appears, without hesitating, so that you can use it well.

例句

When a better job offer arrived, Zola grasped the opportunity without a second thought.

更好的工作機會出現時，Zola 毫不猶豫地把握了這個機會。

grasp + opportunity

Shirin grasped the chance to study abroad when her school announced the exchange program.

學校宣布交換計畫時，Shirin 立刻把握了出國留學的機會。

grasp + the chance to [do something]

同義詞
  • seize

    very similar, but 'seize' can sound more forceful or desperate

  • jump at

    informal; suggests even greater eagerness

  • snap up

    informal; implies acting quickly before others can

反義詞
  • miss

    to fail to take an opportunity

  • pass up

    to deliberately not take an opportunity

文法句型

grasp + opportunity/chance/moment

用法筆記

The object is always an abstract noun such as 'opportunity', 'chance', or 'moment'. This sense is rarely used with concrete objects.

常見錯誤

❌She took the opportunity to travel.' (when meaning eager acceptance)
✅She grasped the opportunity to travel.
💡'grasp' emphasises eagerness and quick action, while 'take' is more neutral.
❌He grasped the job that was offered.' (when meaning physical hold)
✅He grasped the job opportunity that was offered.
💡use 'opportunity' or 'chance' to make the sense clear.

3. to succeed in understanding something that is complicated, difficult, or not imm

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

理解；掌握

深入理解困難或複雜的事物

to succeed in understanding something that is complicated, difficult, or not immediately obvious — for example, grasping a scientific concept, the main point of an argument, or the reason behind a decision.

例句

Diya took a long time to grasp the rules of chess, but she kept practising.

Diya 花了好一段時間才理解西洋棋的規則，但她持續練習。

grasp + rules

Several students in the class could not grasp the concept of supply and demand.

班上有好幾個學生無法理解供給與需求的概念。

grasp + concept

同義詞
  • understand

    more general; grasp implies a more thorough or effortful understanding

  • comprehend

    more formal; similar depth but less common in everyday speech

  • figure out

    informal; emphasises the process of working something out

反義詞

文法句型

grasp + noun phrase

grasp + what/how/why clause

用法筆記

Often used with question-word clauses (why, how, what) or abstract nouns (concept, idea, meaning, difference). Unlike 'understand', 'grasp' strongly suggests the topic was challenging and required effort.

常見錯誤

❌I grasp what you mean easily.' (when the idea is simple)
✅I understand what you mean easily.
💡'grasp' suits difficult or complex ideas, not simple ones.
❌He grasped the news about the party.' (when meaning 'received the news')
✅He understood the news about the party.
💡'grasp' is for understanding, not just hearing.

grasp — 名詞