catching

[kach-ing]

adjective

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

   a disease that is catching;

   His enthusiasm is catching.

2. attractive; fascinating; captivating; alluring.

   a catching personality.

catching

/ ˈkætʃɪŋ /

adjective

1. infectious

2. attractive; captivating

Other Word Forms

• catchingly adverb
• catchingness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of catching¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; catch, -ing ²

Example Sentences

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.

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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.

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“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.”

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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.

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

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