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
Andrew Greif, NBC news, 23 Feb. 2026
The rich Redfellows get dispatched one by one in scenes that are fun but empty — neither cathartic nor comic, simply boxes to be checked off to great big poundings of thunder and harpsichords.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
When one family’s nightmare becomes nationally syndicated, though, attention can become a demand—for more detail, for more drama, for a cathartic conclusion.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
This thriller could be a, ahem, cathartic read for the jaded.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cathartic
Adjective
Shiffrin, who hadn’t earned an Olympic medal since 2018, had a cathartic end to the Games by dominating slalom for gold.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 23 Feb. 2026
The rich Redfellows get dispatched one by one in scenes that are fun but empty — neither cathartic nor comic, simply boxes to be checked off to great big poundings of thunder and harpsichords.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
When one family’s nightmare becomes nationally syndicated, though, attention can become a demand—for more detail, for more drama, for a cathartic conclusion.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
This thriller could be a, ahem, cathartic read for the jaded.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cathartic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cathartic
Adjective
-
Lego Galaxy hopes to draw visitors — and perhaps new audiences — by focusing on slicker, more modern technology and injecting in the park the sort of excitable ride more commonly found at Legoland’s Southern California competitors.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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But where Dad is excitable, McGonigle is more reserved.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Conditions at the facility deteriorated in its final year of operation, as chronic violence and the stockpiling of weapons and drugs threatened the safety of employees and inmates.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
11 Mar. 2026
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The operator of the e-scooter was arrested on suspicion of operating a bicycle under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs and DUI causing bodily injury, after officers conducted several field sobriety tests, police said.—
Jose Fabian,
CBS News,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Adolescence — roughly ages 10 to 19, according to the World Health Organization — is the critical window for developing confidence, a stable sense of identity and emotional regulation.—
Asuka Koda,
CNN Money,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Google’s latest lawsuit pushes the company to do more, such as warning users about the risks of having long emotional conversations with its chatbot.—
The Los Angeles Times,
Boston Herald,
7 Mar. 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
-
Kurt's key takeaways Security updates rarely feel exciting.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Houston should be one of the most exciting teams in the tournament, and that’s in large part because of Flemings.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The case went to the Supreme Court, which ultimately preserved access to the medication.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The medication, also referred to as folinic acid, is a synthetic form of vitamin B9 that has been used to treat the toxic side effects of chemotherapy.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Devin Lloyd, the Jacksonville Jaguars inside linebacker who spent 2025 compiling one of the most impressive stat-lines in the NFL, agreed to a 3-year, $45 million deal, a league source told The Observer.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Mar. 2026
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Rusadze, Giorgadze, and Chasserot have built an impressive industry network over the years, so for their official debut, have secured an impressive roster of backstage talent and models through friends who are keen to support.—
Lucy Maguire,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Nobody has successfully transferred consciousness from one nervous system to another or shown that this is possible, says Alysson Muotri, a professor of cellular and molecular medicine at the University of California, San Diego, who is a pioneer in brain organoid research.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
8 Mar. 2026
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As medicine becomes more personalized, things like biomarkers—a broad subcategory of medical signs including glucose regulation, muscle retention indicators, and circadian rhythm metics—are contributing to a better understanding of long-term risk patterns and aging.—
Emilee Coblentz,
Outside,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cathartic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cathartic. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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