Catch napping Meaning in English
expression
Definition
To surprise someone who is not paying attention, often resulting in a mistake or disadvantage for them.
Usage & Nuances
This is an informal idiom. It usually refers to someone making a mistake or missing an opportunity because they weren't alert. Commonly appears as 'be caught napping' in passive form. Not used for literal sleep.
Spanish: pillar desprevenido - tomar por sorpresaPortuguese (BR): pegar desprevenido - pegar de surpresaPortuguese (PT): apanhar desprevenido - apanhar de surpresaChinese (Simplified): 趁某人不备Chinese (Traditional): 趁某人不備Hindi: अचकचा देना - गफ़लत में पकड़नाArabic: يأخذ على حين غرة - يفاجئBengali: অপ্রস্তুত অবস্থায় ধরতেRussian: застать врасплохJapanese: 油断しているところをつかまえるVietnamese: bắt bất ngờ - bắt khi không cảnh giácKorean: 방심할 때 붙잡다 - 허를 찌르다Turkish: gafil avlamak - hazırlıksız yakalamakUrdu: غافل پانا - بے خبری میں پکڑناIndonesian: memergoki lengah - menangkap saat lengah
Example Sentences
The goalkeeper was caught napping and missed the ball.
basic
Don't let them catch you napping during the test.
basic
The company was caught napping by the sudden rise in demand.
natural
If you don't pay attention, life will catch you napping.
natural
He likes to play tricks and hopes to catch you napping.
natural
She was caught napping during the meeting and didn't hear the question.
basic