cathartic

[ kuh-thahr-tik ]

adjective

1. of or relating to catharsis.
2. Also cathartical. evacuating the bowels; purgative.

noun

1. a purgative.

   Synonyms: physic, laxative

cathartic

/ kəˈθɑːtɪk /

adjective

1. purgative
2. effecting catharsis

noun

1. a purgative drug or agent

Derived Forms

• caˈthartically, adverb

Other Words From

• ca·thar·ti·cal·ly adverb
• ca·thar·ti·cal·ness noun
• hy·per·ca·thar·tic adjective
• non·ca·thar·tic adjective noun
• non·ca·thar·ti·cal adjective
• sem·i·ca·thar·tic adjective
• un·ca·thar·tic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cathartic¹

First recorded in 1605–15; from Late Latin catharticus, from Greek kathartikós “fit for cleansing”; catharsis, -tic

Example Sentences

They produce a magnificent chemistry that not only gives the audience full understanding of the love they exude for each other, but also a cathartic desire to be one of them.

From Washington Blade

It’s true that high-intensity workouts can give you cathartic release through a rush of positive emotions and clarity.

From Popular-Science

It’ll be really cathartic to get to play certain songs again.

From Vox

Perhaps disgust is cathartic to enjoy when there’s no real threat of contamination, just like it’s cathartic to feel the rush of heart-pounding thrillers or tragedies.

From Nautilus

I also appreciated that Cassie’s death paid off one of the ideas that Promising Young Woman laid out early on, which is that her revenge was not going to be cathartic and sexy.

From Vox

There was something cathartic about deleting this 2,500-word monster of a farewell, and resolving to live.

From The Daily Beast

Someone once asked me, did I find writing personally cathartic.

From The Daily Beast

The acknowledgment of these crimes, which came as part of an amnesty for them, was a cathartic moment for El Salvador.

From The Daily Beast

It was a cathartic moment for the brand, though far from a guarantee to help restore it to its glory days.

From The Daily Beast

In that way that was cathartic too, to sort of stitch up all those pieces and see how that is.

From The Daily Beast

The latter is an active emeto-cathartic, and is abundant on swampy grounds throughout the Southern States.

From Project Gutenberg

Sometimes, a gentle cathartic may be needful; but it is best first to try fasting.

From Project Gutenberg

Cathartic medicine should not be administered the first, the third, or any other day after confinement, unless it is needed.

From Project Gutenberg

The cathartic waters are the most numerous and the most extensively used.

From Project Gutenberg

Two or three glasses in the morning is the dose as a cathartic.

From Project Gutenberg