catch a cold
Contract a virus
To catch a cold is to become infected with a common cold virus, typically through exposure to someone already sick.
The phrase treats illness as something that finds you rather than something you seek: I caught a cold from my coworker.
Extended to other contagious illnesses: catch the flu, catch a bug.
- illnessState of poor health
- come down withBecome ill with
- sore throatIrritated, aching airway
- virusMicroscopic infectious agent
- runny noseNasal discharge symptom
blow your nose · congestion · cough · shivers · fever · chills · rhinovirus · under the weather · sneeze · malaise · headache · be taken ill · go down with · achoo · fatigue · contagious · rest · incubation
health state transition
catch a coldrecover
Regain health or possession
get well · heal · recuperate · bounce back · convalesce
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