catch phrase

American  

Or catchphrase

noun

1. a phrase that attracts or is meant to attract attention.

2. a phrase, as a slogan, that comes to be widely and repeatedly used, often with little of the original meaning remaining.

---

catch phrase British  

noun

1. a well-known frequently used phrase, esp one associated with a particular group, etc

---

Etymology

Origin of catch phrase

First recorded in 1840–50; catch(word) + phrase

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

catch phrase

Remember Sun Microsystems’ catch phrase, “We put the dot in dotcom”? Do you remember Sun Microsystems?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 12, 2026

"The catch phrase is always 'physics beyond the Standard Model,'" Gaskell said.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 26, 2024

For many years, Hank Williams Jr. provided the musical intro for “Monday Night Football,” injecting the catch phrase “Are you ready for some football?” into his song, “All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2023

“Well, there goes my no-hitter,” Santangelo wrote on Twitter Wednesday, repeating a catch phrase he said after the Nationals’ first hit each game.

From Washington Times ● Nov. 3, 2021

The catch phrase put in the mouth of the comic character is only mildly amusing at first; it gains steadily with repetition until, introduced at just the right moment, the house rocks with laughter.

From How to See a Play by Sir Richard Francis Burton