[Idiom] CATCH YOUR DEATH. - How Catching Cold Can Make You Seriously Ill

get very sick

The phrase 'Catch your death' is an exaggerated way of saying you could become very ill, typically from being out in cold weather without adequate protection. Imagine standing out in the snow without a coat; someone might say, “You'll catch your death!” implying that such exposure could lead to a severe health consequence, like pneumonia. Historically, as medical understanding was less advanced, exposure to severe cold was often linked directly to fatal illnesses.

Example Sentences

1. Put on a coat before you catch your death.

   Put on a coat before you catch a serious illness.

2. My grandmother always warned us to bundle up or we'd catch our death.

   My grandmother always warned us to dress warmly or we’d get very sick.

3. Without a scarf, you might catch your death out there in the cold.

   Without a scarf, you might catch a serious illness in the cold.