Meanings
verbcatch lacking (third-person singular simple present catches lacking, present participle catching lacking, simple past and past participle caught lacking)
present singular third person catches lacking · participle present catching lacking · participle past caught lacking · past caught lacking
- slangtransitiveAfrican-American VernacularTo catch off guard, unprepared, or in an embarrassing situation.
Origin
Perhaps an eggcorn for catch napping.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
catch lacking. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/catch%20lacking
MLA
“catch lacking.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/catch%20lacking. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “catch lacking,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/catch%20lacking.
Source: catch lacking on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.