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
Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 21 Jan. 2026
Playing a character who goes off the rails was cathartic for Turner, who shot the series in 2024 shortly after moving back to England following her messy divorce from pop star Joe Jonas.
—Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
In addition to being thought-provoking and moving and cathartic, Good Talk is genuinely funny and utterly engrossing.
—Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
The Maryland rapper fills his fourth album with cathartic melodies and sentimental tributes to family.
—Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cathartic
Adjective
In the modern landscape, there could be something enjoyably cathartic about letting a chat bot be the big bad our hero has to take down.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 21 Jan. 2026
Playing a character who goes off the rails was cathartic for Turner, who shot the series in 2024 shortly after moving back to England following her messy divorce from pop star Joe Jonas.
—Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
In addition to being thought-provoking and moving and cathartic, Good Talk is genuinely funny and utterly engrossing.
—Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
The Maryland rapper fills his fourth album with cathartic melodies and sentimental tributes to family.
—Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cathartic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cathartic
Adjective
-
By 1984, each of the British new wave gods’ first three albums had gone platinum, their cinematic videos were regularly rotated on MTV, and nonstop global touring attracted Swiftian levels of excitable fans.—
A.D. Amorosi,
Variety,
24 Jan. 2026
-
The venue was crammed with excitable 20- and 30-something women, among them Willa Bennett, the editor of Cosmopolitan and Seventeen.—
Carrie Battan,
Vulture,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Finally a trial of about a year, similar to a drug’s Phase 3 stage, is conducted to demonstrate safety and effectiveness at a larger scale.—
Ana Castelain,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
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Sandweg also said the Border Patrol has no business operating in a city like Minneapolis because their training is geared more toward encountering drug cartels and migrants along the border.—
Anna Schecter,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Specifically, kids this age are developing key emotional regulation skills, such as tolerating disappointment, embarrassment, as well as frustration and anger.—
Liz Regalia,
Parents,
31 Jan. 2026
-
In an emotional interview, the original fan favorite also comes to terms with his previous disappointing outings.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 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
-
Or merely the tall-tale purgative of a frantic Purgatorian?—
Tom Nolan,
WSJ,
11 June 2021
Adjective
-
Still, one respondent saw that as an exciting opportunity.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
-
On paper, Paramount+’s debut UFC broadcast Saturday night was meant to usher in an exciting new era for combat sports.—
Chris Lee,
Vulture,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Toward the end of my four-month-long manic episode, my medication was changed.—
Anna Peele,
Vanity Fair,
27 Jan. 2026
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For many people dealing with these frustrating, often invisible symptoms, gabapentin has become a go-to medication, causing prescriptions of the drug to surge.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Bieniemy could inject some new ideas after an impressive stint as running backs coach under Ben Johnson for the Chicago Bears who ranked third in the NFL in rushing yards while winning their division during Bieniemy’s only year there.—
Jeff Fedotin,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Snow, sleet and ice totals have been impressive, ranging from 1 to 5 inches.—
S.E. Jenkins,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Naltrexone is available with a prescription from a licensed healthcare provider, such as a primary care doctor, addiction medicine specialist or psychiatrist.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
7 Jan. 2026
-
She's been vocal about the unique needs of helping the BIPOC population, which often lacked access to or trust in traditional medicine.—
Laurie Perez,
CBS News,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cathartic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cathartic. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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