- present participle of catch.
catching
Americanadjective
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tending to be transmitted from one person to another; contagious or infectious.
a disease that is catching;
His enthusiasm is catching.
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attractive; fascinating; captivating; alluring.
a catching personality.
adjective
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infectious
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attractive; captivating
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of catching
late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at catch, -ing 2
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.
Manoa Duwai convinced his village in 2009 to create a protected area within their customary fishing grounds on Fiji's Coral Coast after concerns over the small number and size of fish he was catching.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026
Combined with low humidity, the dry vegetation is catching fire more easily and supported the Norte fire’s rapid spread early on.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
Fintech companies are catching on to how Americans are altering their financial habits, and they’ve created new products to try to meet the moment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
A woman whose newborn daughter became ill after catching a potentially serious respiratory illness is urging other pregnant women to make sure they are vaccinated against it.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
Daniel said, hanging from the beak by his back legs, his hands grabbing Zeke’s, catching him, saving his life.
From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
