cattish

[kat-ish]

adjective

1. catlike; feline.

2. spiteful; malicious.

Other Word Forms

• cattishly adverb
• cattishness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of cattish¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; cat ( def. ) + -ish ¹

Example Sentences

She gets to whining and rubbing herself ’gainst my legs, acting cattish!

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Instead, we have the word “catty”—or, more obscurely, “cattish,” or “cat-witted”—to mean spiteful and small-minded.

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She had very good hair but grey eyes, that gave her a cattish appearance.

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I had a cattish desire to fight him and let him know his place.

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I don’t like people who write about the stars, and then turn around and say mean, nasty, cattish little things just because they’re jealous.

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