catfish

American  

[kat-fish] / ˈkætˌfɪʃ /

noun

plural

catfish,

plural

catfishes

1. any of the numerous fishes of the order or suborder Nematognathi (or Siluroidei), characterized by barbels around the mouth and the absence of scales.

2. a wolffish of the genus Anarhichas.

3. any of various other fishes having a fancied resemblance to a cat.

4. Slang. a person who assumes a false identity or personality on the internet, especially on social media websites, as to deceive, manipulate, or swindle.

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verb (used with or without object)

1. 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

1. 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

2. another name for wolffish

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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

Fishing for the invasive blue catfish in the Potomac downstream of D.C. has skyrocketed in recent years, and there is concern about how the fishery will be affected.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

“The cleanest of all the poultry is turkey, so I’ll do white-meat turkey or I’ll do sea bass. No dirty fish — no shrimp, no catfish, no tilapia. And I do my herbs every day.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026

The new catfish - Callum Crolla - had posted a photo of a woman at a concert in London in an attempt to make another woman jealous.

From BBC • Jan. 9, 2026

The catfish is the person who has created the fake persona.

From BBC • Nov. 10, 2025

“We Americans were astounded at the idea of a catfish making prey of a monkey,” Roosevelt wrote.

From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple