ENGLISH
REFERENCE

grasped

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈɡɹæspt// UK //ɡɹˈɑːspt// grasped

adj. understood completely or held tightly in the hand. You use this to describe an idea that you finally get or an object you are holding firmly.

adj. fully comprehended or physically gripped. Often functions as a participial adjective describing the state of an idea or object after the action of the verb.


SIMPLE

The concept was finally grasped by the whole class.

CONTEXTUAL

With the handle firmly grasped, she pulled the heavy door open and stepped into the hallway.

COMPLEX

The nuances of the legal argument, once fully grasped by the jury, shifted the entire momentum of the trial toward the defense.

Synonyms
Usage

Often follows a linking verb like 'be' or 'remain' to describe a state of understanding.

Pitfall

The idea was grasped to meThe idea was grasped by meWhen used in the passive sense to describe understanding, the agent is introduced with 'by', not 'to'.

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