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.
Starting next month, passengers catching morning flights out of Boston Logan International Airport will be able to go through a Transportation Security Administration screening outpost in Framingham, Mass., rather than a terminal.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
Cerebras went public over a decade after its founding, catching a second wind of market enthusiasm for AI after a cooling-off period earlier this year.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
He spent three weeks in isolation after catching Ebola while caring for patients in Liberia.
From Slate • May 14, 2026
And while the U.S. still dominates in technology, China is rapidly catching up with artificial intelligence and surpassing the country in electronic vehicles.
From Salon • May 14, 2026
I peeked out, catching Julia shrugging helplessly and Alyx looking more worried than ever.
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
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.
