# catch one's death

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/catch-ones-death
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To contract a serious illness, especially a nasty cold or other respiratory ailment and especially as a result of exposure to wet or chilly weather.

## Examples

- Put on your coat or you will catch your death.
- If you walk home in this freezing rain without an umbrella, you are going to catch your death.
- The elderly man ignored his daughter's pleas to stay indoors, insisting that he would not catch his death simply by walking in the autumn mist.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.