Meaning & use
get the gist
Last updated
UK/ˌɡet ðə ˈdʒɪst/
US/ˌɡet ðə ˈdʒɪst/
Meaning
phraseidiom
To understand the main idea of something without needing every detail.
Grammar: Often followed by of: get the gist of the article.
Patterns
- get the gist of something
- get the gist
I did not understand every word, but I got the gist of the speech.
Skim the first paragraph to get the gist.
She got the gist of the story from the pictures.
Word forms
| third person singular | gets the gist |
|---|---|
| past tense | got the gist |
| past participle | got the gist (also gotten the gist in American English) |
| -ing form | getting the gist |
Common combinations
- quickly get the gist
- You can quickly get the gist by reading the headings.
- get the gist of the story
- He got the gist of the story from the trailer.
- just get the gist
- Just get the gist now and read it fully later.
- get the general gist
- I got the general gist of what she meant.
- get the gist across
- Use simple words to get the gist across.
Synonyms and how they differ
- grasp the main idea
- This is more formal and common in study contexts.
- catch the drift
- Catch the drift is more informal and is often about following a conversation.
- understand
- Understand is neutral and can mean full understanding, while get the gist means only a rough one.
- get the picture
- Get the picture suggests understanding a situation, not a text or speech.
Opposites
Word family
- gist noun
- the main point
- gister noun
- rare, not recommended
Commonly confused: get the gist or jist?
get the gist vs jist
Jist is a common misspelling; the correct spelling is gist.
Practice
You do not know the language, but you can still ____ the gist of the news.
Choose one answer.
Get the gist is the set phrase. The other verbs do not collocate with gist.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “get the gist”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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