Find the synonyms or antonyms of a word
Synonyms for catch-22
| Grammar : Noun |
| Spell : kach-twen-tee-too |
| Phonetic Transcription : ˈkætʃˌtwɛn tiˈtu |
Définition of catch-22
Origin :- from the title of Joseph Heller's 1961 novel. In widespread use only after release of the movie based on the book in 1970. The "catch" is that a bomber pilot is insane if he flies combat missions without asking to be relieved from duty, and is thus eligible to be relieved from duty. But if he asks to be relieved from duty, that means he's sane and has to keep flying.
- There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle. "That's some catch, that Catch-22," he observed."It's the best there is," Doc Daneeka agreed.
- See catch (n.).
- noun no-win situation
Words or expressions associated with your search
- catcall
- catcalled
- catcalling
- catch
- catch 22
- catch-22's
- catch 22's
- catch a glimpse of
- catch a likeness
- catch a wink
- catch act
- catch at straws
- catch breath
- catch drift
- catch eye
- catch fire
- catch flies
- catch forty winks
- catch hold of
- catch in act
- catch in the act
- catch off balance
- catch off-balance
- catch off-guard
- catch off guard
- catch offbalance
- catch offguard
- catch on
- catch on fire
- catch on to
- catch one breath
- catch one's breath
- catch one short
- catch ones breath
- catch-phrase
- catch phrase
- catch red-handed
- catch sight of
- catch some z's
- catch some zs
- catch the act
- catch the drift
- catch the eye
- catch to
- catch unaware
- catch unawares
- catch up
- catch up to
- catch up with
- catch weed
- catch wink
- catch with
- catch22
- catch22's
- catchall
- catchbasin
- catches
- catches act
- catches drift
- catches eye
- catches fire
- catches in act
- catches in the act
- catches off-balance
- catches off balance
- catches off-guard
- catches off guard
- catches offbalance
- catches offguard
- catches on fire
- catches one short
- catches short
- catches some ze
- catches the act
- catches the eye
- catches to
- catches unawares
- catches up
- catches up with
- catches wink
- catches with
- catching
- catching a glimpse of
- catching act
- catching breath
- catching drift
- catching fire
- catching glimpse of
- catching hold of
- catching in act
- catching in the act
- catching off balance
- catching off-balance
- catching off guard
- catching off-guard
- catching offbalance
- catching offguard
- catching on fire
- catching on to
- catching some zs
- catching some zzz
- catching some zzz's
- catching the act
- catching the drift
- catching the eye
- catching to
- catching up
- catching up with
- catching with
- catchings
- catchline
- catchment area
- catchment areas
- catchment basin
- catchpenny
- catchphrase
- catchpole
- catchword
- catchy
- dogcatcher
- eyecatching
- fatigue catch flies
- have to play catch up
- no catch
Most wanted synonyms
Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019