Cotton on to Meaning in English
expression
释义
To begin to understand or realize something, especially something that was not obvious at first.
用法与细微差别
Informal, mainly British English; not commonly used in American English. Often used in the continuous form (e.g., 'She’s starting to cotton on'). Usually used with 'to' before the thing realized (e.g., 'cotton on to the truth'). Similar to 'catch on,' but more about realizing a fact rather than a trend.
例句
It took me a while to cotton on to the joke.
basic
He finally cottoned on to what was happening.
basic
Children often cotton on to things quickly.
basic
It took my parents a year to cotton on to the fact I was moving out.
natural
She’s quick—she cottons on to things way faster than I do.
natural
Once people cotton on to how easy it is, everyone will want to try.
natural