catfish

American

[kat-fish] / ˈkætˌfɪʃ /

noun

plural

catfish,

plural

catfishes

any of the numerous fishes of the order or suborder Nematognathi (or Siluroidei), characterized by barbels around the mouth and the absence of scales.
a wolffish of the genus Anarhichas.
any of various other fishes having a fancied resemblance to a cat.
Slang. a person who assumes a false identity or personality on the internet, especially on social media websites, as to deceive, manipulate, or swindle.

verb (used with or without object)

Slang. to deceive, swindle, etc., by assuming a false identity or personality online.

He fell in love with her online before he realized he'd been catfished.

catfish British

/ ˈkætˌfɪʃ /

noun

any of numerous mainly freshwater teleost fishes having whisker-like barbels around the mouth, esp the silurids of Europe and Asia and the horned pouts of North America
another name for wolffish

"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

Usage

What does catfish mean? Aside from being a delicious kind of river fish, a catfish is a slang term for someone who seduces a person with a false identity online.

Etymology

Origin of catfish

First recorded in 1605–15; cat + fish

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.

The toothless bottom-feeder, which looks like a prehistoric catfish and can weigh over 200 pounds, has been overfished globally.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

Frankie Delaney said he got sick after fishing for blue catfish at a favorite spot upriver from Georgetown in January, while sewage was still pouring into the river.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

In frustration, Abbie posted on Facebook saying David Graham was a catfish and that he was actually a woman called Adele Rennie.

From BBC • Jan. 9, 2026

AutoTune and AI are enabling people who lack musical talent to game the system — like audio catfish.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 14, 2025

The catfish fried in long pans with the potatoes and onions at the other end, popping in the grease.

From "A Long Way from Chicago" by Richard Peck

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023