cathartic
[ kuh-thahr-tik ]
/ kəˈθɑr tɪk /
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adjective
of or relating to catharsis.
Also ca·thar·ti·cal. evacuating the bowels; purgative.
noun
a purgative.
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Origin of cathartic
OTHER WORDS FROM cathartic
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use cathartic in a sentence
If the event was not exactly cathartic, it was at least cause for introspection.
Sleaford Mods gets introspective, but don’t think they’ve gone soft|Zachary Lipez|January 21, 2021|Washington Post“I'm not sure whether the role of this tool is going to be investigative or cathartic,” he said.
In D.C., a resident tracks the flying machines hovering above on the city’s ‘helicopter highway’|Justin Wm. Moyer|November 20, 2020|Washington PostBetter still, Kill Your Friends, despite its 1997 setting, feels bracingly, cathartically, of the moment.
British Dictionary definitions for cathartic
cathartic
/ (kəˈθɑːtɪk) /
adjective
purgative
effecting catharsis
noun
a purgative drug or agent
Derived forms of cathartic
cathartically, adverbCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Medical definitions for cathartic
cathartic
[ kə-thär′tĭk ]
adj.
Inducing catharsis; purgative.
n.
An agent for purging the bowels, especially a laxative.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
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