as in excitable
bringing about a relief from strong emotions usually by expressing them
It was very cathartic to finally tell my childhood bully exactly what I thought of him.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in drug
a substance used to induce or speed up the process of defecation
Epsom salts, when ingested, act as a cathartic.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cathartic
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2025
This might have been the most cathartic action of my life.
—Zach Harper, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
Molly Longman, refinery29.com, 11 Jan. 2021
See All Example Sentences for cathartic
Adjective
Nihilistic action comedies such as Novocaine are built on juxtaposing irreverent humor with cathartic carnage, which can sometimes feel off-putting and contrived.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2025
This might have been the most cathartic action of my life.
—Zach Harper, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
Noun
Some people find free-writing in a journal cathartic.
—Molly Longman, refinery29.com, 11 Jan. 2021
See All Example Sentences for cathartic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cathartic
Adjective
-
And if Django’s Billy Crash tapped into Goggins’s ability to thrive with brutal spite, Mannix plays more to Goggins’s excitable energy and capacity for being clever (even when his character seems to be anything but).—
Daniel Dockery,
Vulture,
6 Apr. 2025
-
For someone so obsessed with the granular details of carbohydrates and fueling, Roche runs with an easy, excitable freedom.—
Devin Kelly,
Outside Online,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The weight loss drug market has exploded, and Kailera Therapeutics is coming for its leaders, Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly.—
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
-
On October 1, 2008, not long after Anastasio graduated from drug court, Phish announced its return, beginning with three shows at Hampton Coliseum the following March.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
It wasn’t scripted that Robby gets emotional and breaks down at [that] particular point in the speech….—
Ryan Schwartz,
TVLine,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Just before the game, the franchise honored him with a video tribute, and Dončić became emotional.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Sales of purgatives, tonics, syrups and patent medicines like Carter’s Little Liver Pills went through the roof as ordinary people were encouraged to closely monitor the frequency and quality of their bowel movements.—
Elsa Richardson,
TIME,
3 Oct. 2024
-
Or merely the tall-tale purgative of a frantic Purgatorian?—
Tom Nolan,
WSJ,
11 June 2021
Adjective
-
In my view, this is one of the more exciting uses of a foldable display in PCs because people like the portability of 13-inch laptops, but not necessarily the actual size of the display.—
Anshel Sag,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
-
The tools offer exciting new clues to how people living in the area thousands of years ago may have lived and interacted.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Balmer's mother said her son was mentally ill and had not been taking his medication.—
Caitlin Yilek,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Schroeder was relying on anxiety and anti-depression medications to get through the day.—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Economic growth − uneven and fragile In raw numbers, Cambodia’s economic progress over the past two decades has been impressive.—
Sophal Ear,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Mind you, several San Diego Section athletes were impressive without setting records.—
Steve Brand,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
These include medicines that increase available dopamine, resemble dopamine or block its natural breakdown.—
Lillian Ali,
Smithsonian Magazine,
21 Apr. 2025
-
The drones are also able to fly in life-saving equipment like oxygen cylinders and medicines.—
Esha Mitra,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cathartic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cathartic. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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