- 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.
Catching SpaceX isn’t easy, but Amazon, Blue Origin, and Jeff Bezos aren’t giving up.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
It’s a fundraiser for the Catching Hope foundation, launched by Smith and his wife to equip at-risk youth with skills in leadership and self-sufficiency.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026
"Catching these transient events requires flexibility to adapt our night-time schedule as new targets of opportunity are discovered."
From Science Daily • Dec. 31, 2025
Catching Sim is proving to be nearly impossible.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 25, 2025
Catching sight of Pai striding toward him with jaw outthrust and stick lifted, Ranofer bent hastily to his work.
From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
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.
