Synonyms for fathom
- verb
- noun
Synonyms by meaning
Verb
1. Comprehend
2. Figure out — often followed by out, to deeply understand (someone or something); to get to the bottom of
figure out informal, work out, puzzle out, twig
Noun
1. Brace — A man's armspan, generally reckoned to be six feet (about 1.8 metres). Later used to measure the depth of…
Other
Definitions
- v. 1
Often followed by out: to deeply understand (someone or something); to get to the bottom of.
I can’t for the life of me fathom what this means.
- v. 2
To measure the depth of (water); to take a sounding of; to sound.
- n. 1
A man's armspan, generally reckoned to be six feet (about 1.8 metres). Later used to measure the depth of water, but now generally replaced by the metre outside American usage. An internationally standardized version of this unit, the international fathom (= 1.8288 metres = 6 feet).
Related words
- Word family
- fathomable fathomless fathomlessly
Example sentences
- grasp I was able to grasp the main points of the speech.
- comprehend This theory is too difficult for me to comprehend.
- penetrate Sami tried to penetrate Layla but she didn't let him.
- guess I guess the time of reckoning has arrived at last.
- sift Did you sift the flour before you made the cookie batter?
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| fathom | rising | |
| grasp | rising | |
| comprehend | rising | |
| penetrate | steady | |
| guess | rising | |
| sift | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- twig1, sift1
- 5 letters
- guess1, sound1, grasp1, gauge1, probe1, brace1, stade1, toise, braza
- 6 letters
- bottom2, divine2, pierce1, estado
- 7 letters
- measure2, estadio
- 8 letters
- unfathom
- 9 letters
- penetrate3
- 10 letters
- understand3, comprehend3
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (bottom2 = 2 syllables).