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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of catty
In the 2002 comedy, McAdams plays a catty teen who's turned into, yep, Saturday Night Live alum Schneider, via a curse.
—
Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for catty
Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for catty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catty
Adjective
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The malicious Iranian regime is our national enemy.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
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Under President John Adams, the Federalists sought to eradicate French ideological influence by raising the bar to citizenship, lowering the bar to deportation, and criminalizing malicious criticism of the federal government.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Adjective
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Its cruel and even lawless excesses have reverberated around the globe.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
9 May 2026
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This is how cruel football can be.—
Elias Burke,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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Connecticut led New York 13-4 through the first four minutes of the third quarter, but Stewart killed the momentum with a vicious block from behind as Miller went up for a fast-break layup off of a steal.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
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Harris’s film, though, trades brainy barbs for some pretty vicious violence as a set of twins, badly scarred from a childhood fire, go on a journey to confront the root of their trauma.—
Juan A. Ramírez,
Vogue,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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But don’t forget, coming with that agenda were the most wild and hateful type of movements … the Ku Klux Klan.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
1 May 2026
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An investigation is underway into hateful graffiti in a Long Island neighborhood.—
Jenna DeAngelis,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In the last two weeks, five friends have come down with either a pesty cold or nasty flu bug.—
Cathy Thomas,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
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Otherwise, you people might be tempted to dash off a bunch of nasty remarks in the comments section.—
Jayson Stark,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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In a matter of minutes the best of friends go from being giggling buddies to making bitchy remarks, then hurtful revelations, all with little motivation or sense.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Catty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catty. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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