catapult
Americannoun
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an ancient military engine for hurling stones, arrows, etc.
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a device for launching an airplane from the deck of a ship.
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British. a slingshot.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
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to be catapulted.
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to move or spring up suddenly, quickly, or forcibly, as if by means of a catapult.
The car catapulted down the highway. When he heard the alarm he catapulted out of bed.
noun
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US and Canadian name: slingshot. a Y-shaped implement with a loop of elastic fastened to the ends of the two prongs, used mainly by children for shooting small stones, etc
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a heavy war engine used formerly for hurling stones, etc
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a device installed in warships to launch aircraft
verb
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(tr) to shoot forth from or as if from a catapult
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to move precipitately
she was catapulted to stardom overnight
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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catapultsimple
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catapultssimple
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have catapultedperfect
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has catapultedperfect
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am catapultingprogressive
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are catapultingprogressive
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is catapultingprogressive
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have been catapultingperfect progressive
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has been catapultingperfect progressive
Past
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catapultedsimple
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had catapultedperfect
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was catapultingprogressive
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were catapultingprogressive
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had been catapultingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of catapult
1570–80; < Latin catapulta < Greek katapéltēs, equivalent to kata- cata- + péltēs hurler, akin to pállein to hurl
Explanation
A catapult is something that hurls things through the air, like a catapult that sends pumpkins flying in an annual Halloween competition. To pronounce catapult, accent the first syllable: "CAT a pult." Catapult can also be a verb that means "to hurl or shoot forward." It's not only objects that catapult. A hit single can catapult a band to great fame, for example, or a high score may catapult you into first place. Just don't catapult any cats. That would catapult you to notoriety, and probably also to jail.
Vocabulary lists containing catapult
Break It Down: Cata
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Latin Love, Vol II: cadere
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Ancient Rome - Introductory
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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.
See Examples For:
Others, like “Obsession,” catapult from modest beginnings into an echelon of popularity that not even the academics and historians could’ve foreseen.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
SpaceX is poised to make history on Friday with a record-setting IPO that will catapult the once fledgling aerospace startup into one of the most valuable companies on Earth.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
For Walmart, the bottom line matters because its tech-like growth story, which has helped catapult its share price to 43 times forward earnings, is predicated on growing operating profits faster than revenue.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026
Musk plans to create a “self-growing city” on the moon and catapult satellites into orbit from the lunar surface.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 31, 2026
He passed a massive catapult, as tall as a city wall, its base sunk deep into the Wall.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
"The ballista spider's snare is bioengineered to store elastic energy in the silk and rapidly release it, giving it incredible instantaneous power density -- greater than any other specialized silk-based biological catapults," said Professor Narendra.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 26, 2026
"It's high-risk and high-reward. If it succeeds, of course, it catapults Pakistan to the top of the global diplomatic game."
From BBC ● Mar. 30, 2026
These two older carriers lack catapults that are standard on American carriers and instead use “ski jump” ramps to deploy fixed-wing aircraft.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2025
In his first administration, he called for a return to steam-powered catapults to launch jets from aircraft carriers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2025
Two artillery crews had set up catapults just outside the Pomerian Line and were preparing to fire at the Argo II. “That’ll just make things worse,” Annabeth said.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
Football—the other kind—fit for Independence Day: The U.S., fresh off a win that catapulted them into the World Cup’s round of 16, won’t play again until Monday.
From Slate ● Jul. 2, 2026
However, excitement around Marvell’s networking products is what has catapulted the stock 284% over the past 12 months.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
The morning rally catapulted Elon Musk into a trillionaire status — the first person to reach that once unheard of status.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026
Traders see this crop of initial public offerings as a generational chance to cash in on the artificial-intelligence boom that has catapulted major stock indexes to new highs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026
She’d been the best Glitcher to ever grace the steps of the Academy, a fact that had quickly catapulted her up the ranks until she was named the first female commander in chief.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
Reilly’s legacy went beyond catapulting politicians into office.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
The paintings were a massive hit, catapulting Julian to a new echelon of fame, but isolating Christopher and ultimately driving him away, leaving the third and final series incomplete.
From Salon ● Apr. 17, 2026
Many had said the fad would soon fade, casting doubt on the logic of Pop Mart’s share price catapulting above that of heavyweights like Alibaba.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 25, 2026
The stock has risen 12% since, catapulting Amazon from the worst-performing “Magnificent Seven” name on a year-to-date basis to the fourth best.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2025
The Welsh had a machine for catapulting stones, most of which thudded harmlessly into the courtyard.
From "The Door in the Wall" by Marguerite de Angeli
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.
