cathartic

play

adjective ca·thar·tic \kə-ˈthär-tik\

Definition of cathartic

: of, relating to, or producing catharsis cathartic drugs a cathartic experience

cathartically

play \-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

Examples of cathartic in a Sentence

There's something cathartic about a punch in the nose. —Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated, 28 Jan. 2002
But Vietnam is hard to sell as a tidy, cathartic morality tale of troubled times overcome. —Jennifer Homans, New Republic, 2 & 9 Dec. 2002
Many veterans, at first reluctant to speak, ultimately uncorked their emotions in a cathartic explosion. —Stanley Karnow, New York Times Book Review, 22 Nov. 1992
It provokes no healthy tears, whereas Cervantes never fails … to open the cathartic floodgates. —Anthony Burgess, Homage to Qwert Yuiop: Selected Journalism 1978-1985, 1986

Recent Examples of cathartic from the Web

Everyone can understand the cathartic abandon of a Carnival parade, after all.

— doug maccash, NOLA.com, "Arcade Fire's trashy new New Orleans video: lovely but too long," 17 July 2017
The trainer cited the last career race of 2011 Preakness Champion Shackleford as a particularly cathartic day beneath the Twin Spires.

— danielle lerner, The Courier-Journal, "For Louisville's Dale Romans, Churchill Downs success has been decades in the making," 1 July 2017
How cathartic can music be in the wake of a soul-sapping tragedy?

— george varga, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds return to San Diego after leader's soul-sapping tragedy," 26 June 2017
Cry A good, cathartic cry might be just what the doctor ordered.

— ariana ionescu, Vogue, "8 Ways to Get Over a Breakup in the Big Apple," 11 June 2017
In spins a web of math rock and the Strokes, and – at live shows, a party atmosphere that provides an almost-cathartic release.

— courtney devores, charlotteobserver, "With a new hometown label in its corner, local favorite Junior Astronomers releases its second full-length," 7 June 2017
Curry had already spun James around in a cathartic remix of 2016.

— rob mahoney, SI.com, "The Warriors Have Rendered LeBron James's Brilliance Painfully Inadequate," 5 June 2017
The full moon is likely going to feel charged and cathartic, so make time to spend Saturday for yourself.

— jodie layne, Allure, "The Best Beauty Product for Your Zodiac Sign This Week," 4 June 2017
For the Kentucky native, the album was cathartic and helped him get over a real-life breakup.

— sowmya krishnamurthy, Billboard, "Bryson Tiller Talks Sophomore Album 'True to Self': 'You Gotta Let Your Favorite Artist Grow & Be Great'," 31 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cathartic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History of catharsis and cathartic

Catharsis and cathartic both trace to the Greek word kathairein, meaning “to cleanse, purge.” Catharsis entered English as a medical term having to do with purging the body—and especially the bowels—of unwanted material. The adjective cathartic entered English with a meaning descriptive of such a physically cleansing purge. It didn’t take long for people to start using these words figuratively in reference to emotional release and spiritual cleansing.