- 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.
"It's so striking -- and frustrating -- that this is happening all over again," said Morton, noting that forests affected by the 2015 and 2023 El Niño events are once again catching fire.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026
That play was Santa Margarita royalty at its best — a Mosley catching a touchdown pass from a Palmer, the son of the head coach.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
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
But it has little chance of catching the Geran-5 or the Banderol, a cheap cruise missile, which can reach speeds of 370 and 385 mph, respectively.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
He’s sitting in the desk chair, tossing a baseball into the air and catching it.
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
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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.
