to be caught napping
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To suffer some disadvantage while off one's guard. Pheasants, hares, and other animals are sometimes surprised "napping.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to be caught napping” mean?
To suffer some disadvantage while off one's guard. Pheasants, hares, and other animals are sometimes surprised "napping.
Is “to be caught napping” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.