catching a cold

Contracting a virus

Catching a cold means becoming infected with a cold virus, typically through exposure to someone already sick.

The phrase treats illness as something that can be grabbed or intercepted: I think I'm catching a cold.

Despite the name, cold weather doesn't cause colds—though the association persists in folk wisdom and the phrase itself.

Related

rhinovirus · chills · fever · sore throat · fatigue · feeling lousy · sore · under the weather · chicken soup · hot tea · tissue · rest · congestion · nasal spray · immune system · contagious · symptoms · virus

Opposites
health state transition

catching a coldhealing

Restoration of health

recovering · bouncing back · recuperating · getting better · convalescing

health status

catching a coldperfect health

Complete physical wellbeing

robust health

Family

catch, catches, caught, catcher, catchers, catching, catchable, cold, colds

Familiarity
Top 10,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Negative · Everyday, not technical · Rated G