catching

American

[kach-ing] / ˈkætʃ ɪŋ /

adjective

tending to be transmitted from one person to another; contagious or infectious.

a disease that is catching;
His enthusiasm is catching.
attractive; fascinating; captivating; alluring.

a catching personality.

catching British

/ ˈkætʃɪŋ /

adjective

infectious
attractive; captivating

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

catchingly adverb
catchingness noun

Etymology

Origin of catching

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; 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.

They deserve to be where they are because they've been the standout side so far, and they are going to take some catching too.

From BBC

Edward Burns returns as the writer, director and co-star, catching up with the working-class Irish family and their romantic obstacles 30 years later.

From MarketWatch

“And when I laid down on the floor next to her … she leaned over and started catching the tears, one at a time, as they were rolling down my cheek.”

From Los Angeles Times

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is still catching up on numbers it couldn’t compile during the spending impasse, including October job-creation figures, which are now coming next month.

From The Wall Street Journal

"I was worried for the children's health, I didn't want them catching anything."

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023