grapple
verb /ˈɡræpl/
/ˈɡræpl/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they grapple | /ˈɡræpl/ /ˈɡræpl/ |
| he / she / it grapples | /ˈɡræplz/ /ˈɡræplz/ |
| past simple grappled | /ˈɡræpld/ /ˈɡræpld/ |
| past participle grappled | /ˈɡræpld/ /ˈɡræpld/ |
| -ing form grappling | /ˈɡræplɪŋ/ /ˈɡræplɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] to take a strong hold of somebody/something and struggle with them
- grapple (with somebody/something) Passers-by grappled with the man after the attack.
- grapple somebody/something (+ adv./prep.) They managed to grapple him to the ground.
- [intransitive] to try hard to find a solution to a problem
- grapple with something The new government has yet to grapple with the problem of air pollution.
- a government trying to grapple with inflation
- an attempt to grapple with this very difficult issue
- grapple to do something I was grappling to find an answer to his question.
Word OriginMiddle English (as a noun denoting a grappling hook): from Old French grapil, from Provençal, diminutive of grapa ‘hook’, of Germanic origin; related to grape. The verb dates from the mid 16th cent.