catch a cold — become ill
collocationB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
to become sick with a cold, usually with a runny nose, sneezing, or a sore throat.
Say it like a native
Textbook I appear to have contracted a viral upper-respiratory infection.
Native I think I've caught a cold.
'Contracted a viral... infection' is clinical; 'caught a cold' is what people say.
Pattern: catch a cold
In use
- If you go outside without a jacket in winter, you might catch a cold.health
- During the winter months, many students catch a cold because of the cold weather and crowded classrooms.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ I catched a cold last week.
✓ I caught a cold last week.
Irregular past tense — 'caught'.
Common collocations
catch a cold— catch, a nasty, a bad, come down with a
Don't confuse it
Do not confuse with 'catch a chill' (become cold from the weather) or 'catch the flu' (a more serious illness).