Synonyms

catlike

American

[kat-lahyk] / ˈkætˌlaɪk /

adjective

resembling or typical of a cat.

catlike eyes.
swift and graceful.
stealthy and noiseless.

The scouts crept up on their quarry with catlike tread.

Etymology

Origin of catlike

First recorded in 1590–1600; cat ( def. ) + -like

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.

Time magazine described her as “moving about the stage with catlike grace, her rich, ringing voice zooming with ease through the high, precarious lines,” and as a “girl with veins of fire.”

From New York Times • Apr. 5, 2024

She moved slowly, catlike, and seemed not too concerned.

From Slate • Nov. 26, 2023

There’s all kinds of stuff that has tried to be a bit catlike in different ways—mongooses, things like that.

From Scientific American • Oct. 4, 2023

But the slower movement then makes the robot look sleepy or catlike.

From BBC • May 4, 2023

Their walk was catlike, a gait that seemed constantly on the edge of shifting into a crouch.

From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer

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