caught+napping

  • 1be caught napping — to not be ready to deal with something at the time when it happens. Arsenal s defence was caught napping as Andrews chipped in a goal from the right …

    New idioms dictionary

  • 2Napping — Nap Nap (n[a^]p), v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Napped} (n[a^]pt); p. pr. & vb. n. {Napping} (n[a^]p p[i^]ng).] [OE. nappen, AS. hn[ae]ppian to take a nap, to slumber; cf. AS. hnipian to bend one s self, Icel. hnipna, hn[=i]pa, to droop.] 1. To have a… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 3caught short — Synonyms and related words: ad lib, astonished, caught napping, caught off balance, extemporaneous, extemporized, haphazard, hasty, impromptu, improvised, makeshift, precipitate, rough and ready, snap, struck with surprise, surprised, taken aback …

    Moby Thesaurus

  • 4napping — Synonyms and related words: a stranger to, absent, absentminded, absorbed, abstracted, anesthetized, asleep, bemused, blind to, castle building, cataleptic, caught napping, comatose, daydreaming, daydreamy, dead to, deaf to, doped, dozy, dreaming …

    Moby Thesaurus

  • 5napping — adjective not prepared or vigilant the blow caught him napping caught in an off guard moment found him off his guard • Syn: ↑off guard, ↑off guard, ↑off one s guard, ↑off his guard, ↑off her g …

    Useful english dictionary

  • 6catch you napping — catch (you) napping to be surprised by something that you have not given attention to. I was caught napping by the last storm, but this time I ve already got batteries and flashlights and canned food on hand …

    New idioms dictionary

  • 7catch napping — catch (you) napping to be surprised by something that you have not given attention to. I was caught napping by the last storm, but this time I ve already got batteries and flashlights and canned food on hand …

    New idioms dictionary

  • 8catch someone napping — CATCH OFF GUARD, catch unawares, (take by) surprise, catch out, find unprepared; informal catch someone with their trousers/pants down; Brit. informal catch on the hop. → nap * * * catch someone napping (informal) 1. To detect someone in error… …

    Useful english dictionary

  • 9catch someone napping — the teacher had warned us to be ever prepared, but the unannounced test caught most of us napping Syn: catch off guard, catch unawares, surprise, take by surprise, catch out, find unprepared; informal catch someone with their pants down …

    Thesaurus of popular words

  • 10catch someone napping — informal to do something that someone is not expecting so that you get an advantage over them Brazil caught England napping and scored two goals in the first ten minutes …

    English dictionary