grapple

CEFRC1

/ˈɡɹæpəl/

verb · noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    To struggle physically or deal with a difficult problem.

  2. 02

    verb

    Extra detail

    To ponder and intensely evaluate a problem; to struggle to deal with.

Examples

  • The Esperanto movement has always had to grapple with the problem of 'eternal beginners'.

  • Morgan recoiled, ready to fend off another attack, but the rope grappled him back against the fence.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5

Deep Dive

verb

Extra meanings

  1. To wrestle or tussle.

  2. To seize something and hold it firmly.

noun

Extra meaning

  1. A close hand-to-hand struggle.

More examples

In context

  • to grapple with one's conscience

  • After returning from the cable factory with another load of cable and repeaters, the buoy will be recovered or the rope grappled for. When the previous section is aboard the ship, transmission tests are made […]

  • Class 4 2-6-4T No. 42098 grapples with the 1 in 63 to Troutbeck at the head of the "Lakes Express".

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

He reached out to blank the rope tightly with both hands.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

verb

From Middle English *grapplen (“to seize, lay hold of”), from Old English *græpplian (“to seize”) (compare Old English ġegræppian (“to seize”)), from Proto-Germanic *graipilōną, *grabbalōną (“to seize”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰrebʰ- (“to take, seize, rake”), equivalent to grab + -le. Cognate with Dutch grabbelen (“to grope, scramble, scrabble”), German grabbeln (“to rummage, grope about”) and grapsen, grapschen (“to seize, grasp, grabble”). Influenced in some senses by grapple (“tool with claws or hooks”, noun) (see below). See further at grasp.