catty

¹

[ kat-ee ]

adjective

, cat·ti·er, cat·ti·est.

1. catlike; feline.
2. slyly malicious; spiteful:

   a catty gossip.

   Synonyms: bitchy, malevolent, nasty, mean

catty

²

[ kat-ee ]

noun

, plural cat·ties.

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

catty

¹

/ ˈkætɪ /

adjective

1. informal.
   spiteful

   a catty remark

2. of or resembling a cat

catty

²

/ ˈkætɪ /

noun

1. 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 (Mandarin) Chinese name:jin

Derived Forms

• ˈcattily, adverb
• ˈcattiness, noun

Other Words From

• catti·ly adverb
• catti·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of catty¹

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

Origin of catty²

1545–55; < Malay kati

Word History and Origins

Origin of catty¹

C16: from Malay kati

Example Sentences

Montgomery, who wrote and directed this low-budget charmer, smartly balances the creepy and the nutty in a queer story that’s as much about ghosts being catty as it is about loneliness in the here and agency in the afterlife.

From New York Times

Let the catty turmoil commence.

From New York Times

“You really wrap your head around why people would be so hateful. It’s not catty. It’s cruel.”

From Seattle Times

The singer, who will hit the road with his band Crazy Horse next month, signed off with a delightfully catty flourish: “I hope all you millions of Spotify users enjoy my songs! They will now all be there for you except for the full sound we created.”

From Los Angeles Times

“It’s not catty,” she said in the keynote session, which also included Brooke Shields, Katie Couric and the sociologist Nancy Wang Yuen.

From New York Times

Related Words

• rancorous
• spiteful