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
Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2026
Instead, watching the crash proved cathartic.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 5 Feb. 2026
After five straight losses and nearly four weeks without scoring more than three goals, a six-goal outburst was obviously cathartic in the penultimate game before the Olympic break.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Amid memories of childhood abuse and strained relationships, skating was a cathartic outlet for the trio, whose most revealing moments appear through flashback footage and more recent recordings.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cathartic
Adjective
The songs, by the female rock duo ARXX, make cathartic anthems of these grievances.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2026
Instead, watching the crash proved cathartic.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 5 Feb. 2026
After five straight losses and nearly four weeks without scoring more than three goals, a six-goal outburst was obviously cathartic in the penultimate game before the Olympic break.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Amid memories of childhood abuse and strained relationships, skating was a cathartic outlet for the trio, whose most revealing moments appear through flashback footage and more recent recordings.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cathartic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cathartic
Adjective
-
Penny is an excitable and expressive teen.—
Pioneer Press,
Twin Cities,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The expressive and excitable young girl stumbles along, while the wary grown-up remains controlled and refined — even though both are completely lost.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The government also stopped collecting and reporting crucial survey findings on transgender students — data that have shown higher rates of depression, drug use, bullying and other problems.—
Mike Stobbe,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
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Beer that turned green − possibly a chemical reaction with the drugs Dominque Pelicot had been slipping into her drinks and food to render her unconscious for the rapes.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Kelly’s emotional two-dimensionality increases our anger on behalf of Pidgeon’s Carolyn, a vibrant professional woman who sees her life and her career toxified by the paparazzi and the press.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
-
For me, that connection is the emotional core of 17.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
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
-
What matchup Wednesday looks the most exciting?—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Discoveries The new guard of American talent, Diotima, Ashlyn and Aisling Camps are consistently exciting and increasingly sophisticated in new and modern ways of dressing.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Guthrie was last seen on January 31 and is believed to have been abducted from her secluded home without her phone or critical medications.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
-
There has been no proof of life provided for the 84-year-old, and family has expressed concern about her health because she was kidnapped without her medication.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Known for its arts and music festivals, incredible food, gorgeous squares, and impressive museums, the city also boasts easy beach access with Tybee Island just a quick hop, skip, and a jump away.—
Opheli Garcia Lawler,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Feb. 2026
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Pundits are piling on, with the groupthink of armchair analysts reflexively comparing American’s stock chart to admittedly impressive peers such as Delta and United, without recognizing their differences as compared to American, which flies the world’s largest number of passengers by far.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Jade is a plant and a stone, with connotations of balance and healing and wellness in Eastern medicine.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Kara Rood, a maternal fetal medicine physician at the Ohio State University who isn't contributing to the trial, feels similarly encouraged by the early results.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cathartic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cathartic. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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