Latch on to Meaning in English
expression
ˈɫætʃ/ /ˈɑn/, /ˈɔn/ /ˈtu/, /tə/, /tɪ
LATCH-ahn-too, LATCH-awn-too, LATCH-ahn-tuh, LATCH-awn-tuh, LATCH-ahn-tih, LATCH-awn-tih
lˈætʃ/ /ˈɒn/ /tˈuː
latch-ON-too
Definition
To hold onto something tightly or to begin to understand or adopt an idea, especially quickly or eagerly.
Usage & Nuances
Mainly informal. Used both for physical actions (holding onto something) and for quickly understanding or adopting ideas. In American English, often more about grasping ideas or trends. Sometimes used with 'to' or 'onto' (e.g., 'latch onto').
Spanish: aferrarse a - captar (una idea) - engancharse aPortuguese (BR): agarrar-se a - entender (uma ideia) - apegar-se aPortuguese (PT): agarrar-se a - perceber (uma ideia) - apegar-se aChinese (Simplified): 抓住 - 领会（理解）Chinese (Traditional): 抓住 - 領會（理解）Hindi: पकड़ लेना - समझ लेनाArabic: يتعلق بـ - يفهم (فكرة)Bengali: ধরে থাকা - বুঝে নেওয়া - গ্রহণ করা (বিরোধিতা ছাড়া গ্রহণ/মানা)Russian: схватиться - ухватиться - быстро понятьJapanese: しっかりつかむ - 飲み込む - すぐ理解するVietnamese: bám lấy - nắm bắt (ý tưởng, thông tin)Korean: 붙잡다 - 바로 받아들이다 - 이해하다Turkish: tutunmak - hemen kavramak - benimsemekUrdu: پکڑ لینا - سمجھ لینا - قبول کر لیناIndonesian: memegang erat - memahami dengan cepat - mengikuti (tren/ide)
Example Sentences
The baby latched on to her mother's finger.
basic
She quickly latched on to the new idea.
basic
Children often latch on to their favorite toys.
basic
Once she heard about the trend, she really latched on to it.
natural
It took him a while to latch on to what the teacher was explaining.
natural
People tend to latch on to gossip quickly.
natural