cat

noun

ˈkat How to pronounce cat (audio)
Definition of catnext
1
as in kitten
a small domestic animal known for catching mice the family's cat did an exemplary job of keeping the house and yard free of all rodents

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in male
an adult male human being he was one cool cat driving around in his new sports car

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cat The parasite, which can also be spread through cat feces, has increasingly been linked to undercooked pork. — Angela Haupt, Time, 23 July 2026 Symptoms include coughing, rapid breathing, lethargy, and reluctance to exercise; open-mouth breathing in cats is an emergency. — Jen Reeder, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026 Newell’s shearwaters spend most of their lives over the Pacific Ocean but return to Hawaii to breed, where artificial lights, collisions with power lines, and introduced predators such as domestic cats threaten already vulnerable populations. — Nathan W. Cooper, The Conversation, 23 July 2026 So, yes, there’s a reason why most people are right handed and no, not all cats hate water and that’s okay. — Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 22 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for cat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cat
  1. kitten
  2. male
  3. kitty
  4. guy
  5. feline
  6. gentleman
  7. dude
Noun
  • Puppies, kittens, senior pets, and brachycephalic breeds are at higher risk.
    — Jen Reeder, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • While on Instagram, notice that there are kittens up for adoption.
    — Ginny Hogan, New Yorker, 21 July 2026
Definition of kitten
Noun
  • The filmmakers have conceived a world that is both funny and extreme, navigating themes of bodily autonomy for both males and females through the playful and the monstrous.
    — William Earl, Variety, 25 July 2026
  • The sterile male flies mated with fertile female flies, but the interactions didn’t produce offspring, decreasing the overall fly population.
    — Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 24 July 2026
Definition of male
Noun
  • Loan pools like the Chinese hui, the Japanese tanomoshi and the Korean kye involve groups of investors who pay into a kitty that is then doled out on a rotating basis.
    — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
  • Leap across rooftops and squeeze through pipes, all to become the ultimate good kitty.
    — Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 26 June 2026
Definition of kitty
Noun
  • How vital was Davey to what you guys were able to do in the ’80s?
    — Tim Britton, New York Times, 24 July 2026
  • Analyzing voter registrations and filing challenges has become a common move by conservative activists (like the guy who created ELLY) after the 2020 election.
    — Cassidy Alexander, AJC.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of guy
Noun
  • On the flip side, grooming can also be used to send a stern message, the study found, particularly in the felines’ display of asymmetrical body postures such as one cat leaning over the other one.
    — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 20 July 2026
  • When the rescue team found the cat, its eyes were caked with dust and debris, and after extraction, the feline received hydration and medical care.
    — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 20 July 2026
Definition of feline
Noun
  • The Knicks claiming the 2026 NBA championship in an emphatic 4-1 gentleman’s sweep of the San Antonio Spurs sent the Eastern Conference into a frenzy.
    — Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 25 July 2026
  • The program is structured around four themes, The Lawn, The Garden, The Stage and The Gallery, drawn from Sir Thomas Elyot’s 1531 The Boke Named the Governour, the founding text of the English gentleman ideal.
    — Rachel Dube, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of gentleman
Noun
  • Watching shoot-first combo guards go off for 30 in a summer-league game is great fun, but most of those dudes don’t get to play with a neon-green light in a game that matters.
    — John Hollinger, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • There’s a lot of dudes out here that would sell their soul for an uncomplicated yet complicated jam just like that.
    — Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 22 July 2026
Definition of dude

Phrases Containing cat

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casuistic
cat
cat's cradle
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Cite this Entry

“Cat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cat. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on cat

Nglish: Translation of cat for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cat

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