grab – English verb conjugation

Nominal Forms

Infinitive: to grab at sb
Participle: grabbed at sb
Gerund: grabbing at sb

Cognates

See the 3 cognates of grab

Indicative

Subjunctive

Conditional

Imperative

you	grab at sb
we	Let's grab at sb
you	grab at sb

Indicative

Conditional

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

seize in motion

catch, fang, snatch

to actively and intentionally gain possession or control

appropriate, bag, catch, expropriate, grasp, grip, help oneself, hook, impropriate, make free with, nab, nim, pocket, sack, seize, take

to hold firmly, particularly with the hand

begrasp, begrip, belock, clasp, clench, clinch, cling, clutch, enclasp, fang, fondle, glaum, grabble, grasp, grip, hang on, hold, hold on, hold tight, nim, seize, stranglehold, take

seize

clutch, snatch, take, grip, grasp, loot, plunder, rifle

Antonyms

seize

release, free, liberate, loose

Additional Information

Phrasal Verbs

Etymology

1. 1589, from M.Du. or M.L.G. grabben "to grab," from P.Gmc. *grab (cf. O.H.G. garba "sheaf," lit. "that which is gathered up together"), from PIE *gherebh- "to seize" (cf. Skt. grbhnati "seizes," O.Pers. grab- "seize" as possession or prisoner, O.C.S. grabiti "to seize, rob," Lith. grebiu "to rake"). First record of grab-bag "miscellaneous mixture" is 1855, originally a carnival game.
2. From Middle Dutch grabben or Middle Low German grabben (“to grasp, grab, seize, snatch”), from Old Saxon gravan, from Proto-West Germanic *grabbōn, a secondary form of Proto-Germanic *grabōną (“to gather, rake”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰrebʰ- (“to gather, rake, grab, seize”).
3. Related to archaic German grappen (“to grab”), Danish grabbe (“to grab”), Swedish grabba (“to grab”), Old Norse grápa (“to seize, appropriate”), Middle English grappen (“to feel, grope, grasp, clutch”), Old English ġegræppian (“to seize”).
4. Related also to Sanskrit गृह्णाति (gṛhṇā́ti), गृभ्णाति (gṛbhṇā́ti, “he seizes”), Avestan 𐬔𐬭𐬀𐬠 (grab, “to seize”)), Macedonian грабне (grabne, “to snatch”), Bulgarian грабя (grabja, “to rob, to grab”). See: Old Saxon 'gravan', German, old spelling 'grappen', Danish 'grabbe', Swedish 'grabba', Sanskrit 'गृह्णाति', Macedonian 'грабне', Bulgarian 'грабя'.

Verbs referencing "grab"

German, old spelling grabbeln, Dutch grabbelen, Proto-Slavic greti, Proto-Slavic grabiti, Italian grabbare.

Sample Sentences