catty

¹ American  

[kat-ee] / ˈkæt i /

adjective

cattier, cattiest

1. catlike; feline.

2. slyly malicious; spiteful.

   a catty gossip.

   Synonyms:

   bitchy , malevolent , nasty , mean

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catty ² American  

[kat-ee] / ˈkæt i /

noun

PLURAL

catties

1. (in China and southeast Asia) a weight equal to about 1½ pounds (680 grams) avoirdupois.

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catty ¹ British  

/ ˈkætɪ /

adjective

1. informal  spiteful

   a catty remark

2. of or resembling a cat

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catty ² British  

/ ˈkætɪ /

noun

1. (Mandarin) Chinese name:: jin.  a unit of weight, used esp in E Asia, traditionally equal to about one and a half pounds but formalized as 0.5 kg in mainland China, 0.6 kg in Taiwan and Thailand, and about 0.605 kg in Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore

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Other Word Forms

• cattily adverb
• cattiness noun

Etymology

Origin of catty¹

First recorded in 1885–90; cat ( def. ) + -y ¹

Origin of catty²

1545–55; < Malay kati

Example Sentences

It captures the star as she falls in love with American Footballer Travis Kelce; interspersed with cautionary - and sometimes catty - tales about the music industry.

From BBC

In her video, Brown set her sights on multiple Daily Mail reporters and read aloud catty headlines including, “Why are Gen Zers like Millie Bobby Brown ageing so badly?”

From Los Angeles Times

With Day’s co-star Glenn Close having a catty blast in a leopard-print pushup bra, the film starts goofy and stays that way.

From Los Angeles Times

She also teased her catty upcoming single “Él No Es Tuyo” — set for release in early March, the song notably features her former rival, Bellakath.

From Los Angeles Times

Smilodon, the catty predator whose ancestors emerged in the early Miocene, will not smile on us again.

From Salon

Related Words

• rancorous
• spiteful