What does “fathom” mean?
- 1
verbto understand something difficult after thinking hard about it
I can’t fathom why he would quit.
- 2
nouna unit for measuring the depth of water, about 1.8 meters
The ship sank in twenty fathoms of water.
Fathom at a glance
- Part of speech
- verb & noun
- CEFR level
- C2 (proficient)
- Pronunciation
- /ˈfæðəm/ · FATH-um
How to use “fathom” correctly
The verb is mostly used in negatives and questions: “I can’t fathom it.”
Common phrases with “fathom”
- can’t fathom
- fathom out
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- understand
- comprehend
- grasp
Word family
- unfathomable
“fathom” is on these word lists
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