catalyze

verb

cat·​a·​lyze ˈka-tə-ˌlīz 

catalyzed; catalyzing

transitive verb

1

: to bring about the catalysis of (a chemical reaction)

an enzyme that catalyzes the breakdown of the sugars

2

: bring about, inspire

… his vigorous efforts to catalyze us into activity …

—Harrison Brown

3

: to alter significantly by or as if by catalysis

… innovations in basic chemical theory that have catalyzed the field …

—Newsweek

catalyzer noun

Synonyms of catalyze

• create
• cause
• generate
• bring
• prompt
• produce
• do

Examples of catalyze in a Sentence

a reinstitution of the draft would catalyze protests around the country

Recent Examples on the Web

The rally has been catalyzed by a global boom in semiconductors and AI infrastructure that has lifted companies like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. —Joohee Cho, ABC News, 4 June 2026

The group has argued against moratoriums, saying that changes catalyzed by data center demand would benefit all energy consumers. —N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 4 June 2026

The raid sparked a series of public protests and catalyzed the gay rights movement at a time when many LGBTQ+ people kept their identities to themselves. —Geoff Mulvihill, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2026

YouTube simplified video uploading before catalyzing the creator economy and adjacent monetization ecosystems. —Bill Oldham, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

see catalysis

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for catalyze

• advertise
• aggrandize
• alibis
• alkalies
• alkalis
• amortize
• amplifies
• analyse
• analyze
• anywise
• authorize
• butterflies

Kids Definition

catalyze

verb

cat·​a·​lyze ˈkat-ᵊl-ˌīz 

catalyzed; catalyzing

: to bring about or produce by chemical catalysis

Medical Definition

catalyze

transitive verb

cat·​a·​lyze

variants or British catalyse

ˈkat-ᵊl-ˌīz 

catalyzed or British catalysed; catalyzing or British catalysing

: to bring about the catalysis of (a chemical reaction)

catalyzer noun

or British catalyser