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
Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Horror seems cathartic, or psychically protective—a safe ritual that admits the reality of violence and cruelty while also warding it off, like a ceremonial demon mask.
—David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Expressing your feelings is cathartic when the sun squares Pluto.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
Watching the roommates experience that day was heartbreaking, cathartic, and absolutely unforgettable.
—Breanne L. Heldman, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cathartic
Adjective
The One Day at a Time star has been open with followers over the year in her self-help journey, including sharing her own experiences on knowing when to let go, finding self-love and using journaling as a cathartic release online.
—Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Horror seems cathartic, or psychically protective—a safe ritual that admits the reality of violence and cruelty while also warding it off, like a ceremonial demon mask.
—David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Expressing your feelings is cathartic when the sun squares Pluto.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
Watching the roommates experience that day was heartbreaking, cathartic, and absolutely unforgettable.
—Breanne L. Heldman, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cathartic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cathartic
Adjective
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And while her personality — playful, curious, excitable — certainly comes through, these calls are dominated by interruptions.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
7 Nov. 2025
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Even though this is a super chill and calm Full Moon, the energy can be excitable and erratic for most of us, due to the proximity of the Moon to the Earth.—
Lisa Stardust,
Refinery29,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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In the three months since the Pentagon deployed warships and aircraft in a campaign that the White House said was aimed at drug traffickers from Venezuela, the bolivar has depreciated around 70% against the US dollar, according to data from the central bank, hemorrhaging one point every day.—
Stefano Pozzebon,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
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The poet Rodolfo becomes recovering drug addict Roger, an HIV-positive rock musician whose girlfriend has died.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Shouts for it will be met by angry fingers jutted towards the various gaffes played ad nauseam on Sky Sports’ weekly Ref Watch, or the mandatory pause before the emotional unleashing as VAR mulls over whether a goal is a goal or just a hoax.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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But del Toro expands the emotional spectrum with forgiveness.—
Gerrad Hall,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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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
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Shirley Valentine serves as an escape for those who envision a life more exciting, a fact to which Collins attributed its success.—
Lisa de los Reyes,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Nov. 2025
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Surveying the broader landscape of AI benchmarks, Mahdi said researchers and developers have many exciting avenues to explore.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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For years, millions of Americans have been priced out of these medications.—
Nicholas Florko,
The Atlantic,
7 Nov. 2025
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The link between hypertension and decline in brain health requires further investigation, specifically the impact of blood-pressure-lowering medications on brain function.—
Colleen Doherty,
Verywell Health,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Brazil is set to introduce an ambitious and innovative new system for financing forest protection (more on that below) and Lula comes into COP30 with an impressive record of successful forest protection.—
Jeff Young,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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From the facade crafted from hinoki wood, a rare cypress that’s often reserved for Japanese temples and shrines, to impressive cultural programming and exhibitions, there’s always something worth seeing.—
Jade Moyano,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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If, as Kingsnorth claims, gender-affirming medicine is an assault on human nature and the human body, then so, too, are pacemakers and prosthetic limbs, or Botox and condoms, for that matter.—
Tyler Austin Harper,
The Atlantic,
11 Nov. 2025
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The Festival, which is the magazine’s signature event, was held in New York City and brought together leading voices in literature, film, comedy, television, politics, and medicine.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cathartic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cathartic. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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