catching

[ kach-ing ]

/ ˈkætʃ ɪŋ /

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See synonyms for catching on Thesaurus.com

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.

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Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of catching

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at catch, -ing²

OTHER WORDS FROM catching

catch·ing·ly, adverbcatch·ing·ness, noun

Words nearby catching

catch dog, catcher, catcher's box, catch fire, catchfly, catching, catching pen, catch in the act, catch it, catch lightning in a bottle, catchline

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use catching in a sentence

Ad-supported streaming services have some catching up to do.
Subscription-based streamers outstrip ad-supported services’ share of watch time|Tim Peterson|June 7, 2021|Digiday
The Terrapins were so injury-riddled at quarterback when he was a freshman that he finished the year catching passes from a converted linebacker.
Stefon Diggs wanted a new start. The Bills needed a spark. Now the NFL is on notice.|Barry Svrluga|January 22, 2021|Washington Post
He played for Alabama from 1964 to 1966, catching passes from such renowned quarterbacks as Joe Namath, Steve Sloan and Ken Stabler.
Ray Perkins, coach at Alabama and in the NFL, dies at 79|news services and staff reports|December 11, 2020|Washington Post
It comes from high-end bicycle company Specialized, and what makes it so eye-catching is that it weighs in at less than 5 pounds.
With no pedals, Specialized’s ultralight kid’s bike makes learning to ride easy|Rob Verger|December 4, 2020|Popular-Science

Alphabet, which owns Google, is trying something far more eye-catching in East Africa through an idea that started in 2013 out of Google X, its so called “Moonshot Factory.”
How Google’s balloons are bringing internet to new parts of Kenya|Yinka Adegoke|July 14, 2020|Quartz
The cameraman was reporting on the factory catching fire when the inevitable happened.
Fireworks Factory Explodes in Colorful Burst|The Daily Beast Video|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Caen was pitching and I was crouched behind the dish, catching.
Mario Cuomo, Always Moving Us Toward the Light|Mike Barnicle|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I was out, maybe in the Great Barrier Reef catching black marlin.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It was early last week, the weather was catching up with the season.
The Stacks: A Chicken Dinner That Mends Your Heart|Pete Dexter|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Common Core education standards are catching on with parents and teachers.
Why Voters Love Common Core|Harold Ford Jr.|November 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And since he was too busy catching angleworms for himself to help her and her husband, she wished he would keep out of sight.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey
"That was a job I had mighty little stomach for," he said, catching my eye and smiling faintly.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
I began to understand a little more, catching, I suppose, something of his strong thinking.
Three More John Silence Stories|Algernon Blackwood
On rolled the wave of blue, catching and flinging back hundreds of the fleeing Confederates.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
“No visitors allowed aboard,” replied Mr Welton sternly; catching up, nevertheless, a coil of rope.
The Floating Light of the Goodwin Sands|R.M. Ballantyne

British Dictionary definitions for catching

catching

/ (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

catching

Origin of catching

OTHER WORDS FROM catching

Words nearby catching

Words related to catching

How to use catching in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for catching