catching

American

[kach-ing] / ˈkætʃ ɪŋ /

adjective

tending to be transmitted from one person to another; contagious or infectious.

a disease that is catching;
His enthusiasm is catching.
attractive; fascinating; captivating; alluring.

a catching personality.

catching British

/ ˈkætʃɪŋ /

adjective

infectious
attractive; captivating

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

catchingly adverb
catchingness noun

Etymology

Origin of catching

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; catch, -ing ²

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.

The festival offers an option for seeing live comedy where trans people aren’t “constantly catching strays,” festival producer and actor Petey Gibson says.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

The sportswear giant has been trying to focus more on the needs of athletes, but analysts say new products aren’t catching on.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

But ahead of Tuesday’s results, UBS analysts said that data showed some of Nike’s newer offerings weren’t catching on with customers.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

He had spent several days in a hide when the young lynx suddenly appeared with its prey and began repeatedly throwing it into the air and catching it again.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

Every time I mentioned catching something to Daisy, she naturally figured that I intended to kill and skin it.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

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