catchy
Americanadjective
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pleasing and easily remembered.
a catchy tune.
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likely to attract interest or attention.
a catchy title for a movie.
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tricky; deceptive.
a catchy question.
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occurring in snatches; fitful.
a catchy wind.
adjective
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(of a tune, etc) pleasant and easily remembered or imitated
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tricky or deceptive
a catchy question
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irregular
a catchy breeze
Other Word Forms
- catchiness noun
Etymology
Origin of catchy
Explanation
Something that's catchy grabs your attention or sticks in your memory. A catchy TV commercial jingle is one that kids can't stop singing. Ad executives are always seeking catchy slogans or ideas, and movie distributors work hard to put out catchy trailers for new films. Successful pop musicians have solved the puzzle of how to write a catchy song. In all of these cases, the catchy item appeals to many people and stays with them. The word dates from the 1830s, possibly from the sense of catch meaning "contract an illness that's passed from person to person."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The "Manchild" singer made her Coachella debut in 2024, the year she released her catchy summer hit "Espresso."
From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026
What they are is addictive, catchy, energizing and undeniable.
From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026
An Instagram post on March 7 from Dubai’s official tourism account featured slick visuals of the emirate’s landmark high-rise buildings overlaid with a catchy pop-soundtrack that declares: “Dubai is still the safest place on Earth.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026
While most K-pop tracks are dance music with catchy lyrics, in Kpop Demon Hunters the songs serve to propel the story.
From BBC • Mar. 15, 2026
The alleged controversy is as bogus as other catchy dichotomies such as nature versus nurture and America: Love It or Leave It.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
