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.
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as in drug
a substance used to induce or speed up the process of defecation
Epsom salts, when ingested, act as a cathartic.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cathartic
Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 10 Jan. 2025
By the time Kai Havertz slammed in a cathartic fourth and Ethan Nwaneri added a showstopper of a fifth, Arsenal had reached that rare state of never wanting a big game to end.
—Amy Lawrence, The Athletic, 3 Feb. 2025
Molly Longman, refinery29.com, 11 Jan. 2021
See All Example Sentences for cathartic
Adjective
In partnership with his actors, Leigh excavates and displays the most vulnerable emotions and experiences a person can have, his films slowly building to cathartic crescendos, with glimmers of hope and salvation shining through.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 10 Jan. 2025
By the time Kai Havertz slammed in a cathartic fourth and Ethan Nwaneri added a showstopper of a fifth, Arsenal had reached that rare state of never wanting a big game to end.
—Amy Lawrence, The Athletic, 3 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
-
Alain Delon plays his excitable, passionate nephew, and the luminous Claudia Cardinale the daughter of a local bureaucrat whose romance with Delon becomes the vessel by which the Prince’s family will maintain its power in the future.—
Kevin Lincoln,
Vulture,
20 Jan. 2025
-
As an actor, Branagh has a voice that’s high, excitable, and light, and his physicality possesses a tomcat sneakiness.—
Helen Shaw,
The New Yorker,
11 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Cartels will only be put out of business by legalizing drugs and immigration, not by declaring war on them.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
-
My heart hurts losing another friend 2 the throws of drug addiction & the insane fentanyl crisis thats taken over our country!—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
In these dynamics, emotional depth and vulnerability take a backseat to make way for efficiency.—
Mark Joseph,
Newsweek,
23 Feb. 2025
-
At the mention of Welsh’s name the room burst into applause and an emotional standing ovation.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 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
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Or merely the tall-tale purgative of a frantic Purgatorian?—
Tom Nolan,
WSJ,
11 June 2021
Adjective
-
These moments can be exciting, ratcheting up the tension of an encounter as natural forces and world physics impact the flow of the game.—
Josh Broadwell,
Rolling Stone,
24 Feb. 2025
-
Her choice of Bose earphones, though, hint at something exciting to come.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
24 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Either development could be disastrous for the distribution of medication to treat opioid addiction, reversing the gains, however tenuous, made under the Biden administration.—
Moises Velasquez-Manoff Robert Petkoff Emma Kehlbeck Zak Mouton,
New York Times,
16 Feb. 2025
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His lawyers also argued that his longtime use of a medication to treat back pain could result in the pentobarbital used in lethal injections being ineffective or less effective.—
Landon Mion,
Fox News,
16 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The numbers from Watkins are even more impressive considering USC’s difficult schedule.—
Scott Phillips,
The Athletic,
25 Feb. 2025
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Think meat and seafood entrees, sandwiched by an appetizer menu featuring shrimp cocktail, arancini, and an impressive wine list.—
Lydia Mansel,
Southern Living,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The natural formula uses Chuan-xiong that is known to calm, Safflower that soothes and reduces inflammation and Asarum that is used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat aches and pains.—
Angelina Villa-Clarke,
Forbes,
20 Feb. 2025
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Lawsuits argue that the order discriminates against young transgender people, unlawfully withholds funds appropriated by Congress and violates the right of states to regulate the practice of medicine.—
Francesca Paris,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cathartic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cathartic. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.
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