as in malicious
having or showing a desire to cause someone pain or suffering for the sheer enjoyment of it
a catty remark that served only to hurt their feelings
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of catty
For pro basketball fans who haven’t noticed, City Hall is catty-corner, across South Akard Street, from Memorial Auditorium, built in 1957.
—
Brad Townsend, Dallas Morning News, 15 Jan. 2026
Those unfamiliar with Miss USA — and pageantry in general — may expect that the competition is catty, with contestants vying for the sash and sparkling title.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
Expect things to get catty at Foxwoods’ Great Cedar Showroom.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 15 Sep. 2025
Newsom and his catty social media team often boast about how well California performs compared to all other states.
—Matt Fleming, Oc Register, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catty
Brad Townsend, Dallas Morning News, 15 Jan. 2026
Those unfamiliar with Miss USA — and pageantry in general — may expect that the competition is catty, with contestants vying for the sash and sparkling title.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
Expect things to get catty at Foxwoods’ Great Cedar Showroom.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 15 Sep. 2025
Newsom and his catty social media team often boast about how well California performs compared to all other states.
—Matt Fleming, Oc Register, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catty
Adjective
-
The lawsuit claims 10 violations of state and federal law, including retaliation, unlawful arrest, unlawful seizure, malicious prosecution and conspiracy and seeks an unspecified amount of money for damages.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
16 Apr. 2026
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This, proponents said, would flag cases where parents might be removing children from school for malicious reasons while sparing those who have done nothing wrong.—
Theo Peck-Suzuki,
Hartford Courant,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Dahl’s books are fanciful and imaginative, but also dark, cynical, and mean (and, unfortunately, often reflected his real-life ugliness), spinning stories in which gruesome and unpleasant fates befell rotten kids, and adults were frequently selfish, cruel, and not to be trusted.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Violating that trust is both cruel and unlawful.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Inexplicable, loud, kinetic, vicious.—
Caroline Mimbs Nyce,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
-
That is, until the union starts not-so-quietly exploding during a vicious screaming match at their home following a fundraising event.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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While Kirk was praised by conservatives as a champion of free speech, he was also criticized for comments that many other Americans found hateful toward LGBTQ+ communities, non-Christians, people of color and women.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
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Sheikali's case In March 2025, Sheikali's phone flooded with hateful messages.—
Mikayla Price,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This was the old Magic — the nasty, physical, suffocating defensive team that made every possession feel like work.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Apr. 2026
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From there, the beef between the two couples runs the gamut from faux-gentile to downright nasty.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Stealing a scene later is Will Poulter as a Christie Smith general store manager, styled in head-to-toe green and a swirling shock of hair like a bitchy queen out of Oz.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
12 Mar. 2026
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The whole thing is a dream, owed in large part to Hawke’s bitchy, aggravating, terrifyingly vulnerable performance.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Catty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catty. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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