catch a falling knife

verb

To buy a financial instrument whose price is falling rapidly.

“Buying that stock now would be catching a falling knife. Wait until you see capitulation.”

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Meanings

verbcatch a falling knife (third-person singular simple present catches a falling knife, present participle catching a falling knife, simple past and past participle caught a falling knife)

present singular third person catches a falling knife · participle present catching a falling knife · participle past caught a falling knife · past caught a falling knife

  1. idiomaticbusinessTo buy a financial instrument whose price is falling rapidly.

    Buying that stock now would be catching a falling knife. Wait until you see capitulation.

  2. idiomaticbusinessTo buy a financial instrument with the unconfirmed assumption that its price will reverse.

Translations

Swedish fånga en fallande kniv
  • fånga en fallande knivTo buy a financial instrument whose price is falling rapidly
Cite this entry
APA

catch a falling knife. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/catch%20a%20falling%20knife

MLA

“catch a falling knife.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/catch%20a%20falling%20knife. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “catch a falling knife,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/catch%20a%20falling%20knife.

Source: catch a falling knife on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.