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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Recent Examples of catty
Edward Berger’s Conclave, adapted from the novel by Robert Harris, showcases the gaudy ritual and ornate displays of Roman Catholicism, while also offering an intimate (albeit imagined) look at the backroom dealings and catty confrontations that go into the election of the supreme pontiff.
—
Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2025
Maybe for the first time all day, the comment threads in the comment stream alongside the YouTube livestream was without catty remarks.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 12 Apr. 2025
Pouring a truckload of salt in the wound, Olsen exploits the age gap between herself and her former mentor to take shots at Holmes’s practice, along with the work of all of Manhattan’s old-guard plastic surgeons via catty TikToks lambasting their entire approach.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2024
When host Andy Cohen asked the duo about the exit of castmate Garcelle Beauvais, their silence – and then catty answers – drew backlash from fans.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catty
Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2025
Maybe for the first time all day, the comment threads in the comment stream alongside the YouTube livestream was without catty remarks.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 12 Apr. 2025
Pouring a truckload of salt in the wound, Olsen exploits the age gap between herself and her former mentor to take shots at Holmes’s practice, along with the work of all of Manhattan’s old-guard plastic surgeons via catty TikToks lambasting their entire approach.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2024
When host Andy Cohen asked the duo about the exit of castmate Garcelle Beauvais, their silence – and then catty answers – drew backlash from fans.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catty
Adjective
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The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
28 June 2025
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The first-degree arson charges and malicious damage by explosive charges are connected to the damage to two homes on each side of Barnette’s property.—
Jeff A. Chamer,
Charlotte Observer,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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What is a totalitarian leader other than an individualist taking that creed to its cruel conclusions, erasing the uniqueness of every other person into mere characters in a drama?—
Ed Simon
June 23,
Literary Hub,
23 June 2025
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That first leg ended 1-0 — a slim aggregate lead — and in the second leg back on Kiwi soil, the Australians won 2-0 with one of their goals a cruel deflection.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
21 June 2025
Adjective
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This approach costs three times more than housing people and creates a vicious cycle — incarceration increases homelessness risk by destroying community connections and employment prospects.—
Mahdi E Diab,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 June 2025
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Of course, no conversation about Yellowjackets season 3 would be complete without a deep dive into Shauna's vicious throw down with Swank's Melissa — during which Shauna rips a chunk of flesh off Melissa's arm with her teeth and forces her to eat it.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
19 June 2025
Adjective
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Our national broadcaster should not be transmitting hateful material designed to incite violence and conflict.—
Fatima Al-Kassab,
NPR,
30 June 2025
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Instead, the program selectively promoted one viewpoint while silencing others, effectively teaching children that religious beliefs about sexuality and gender are outdated or even hateful.—
Jeffrey S. Trimbath,
Baltimore Sun,
29 June 2025
Adjective
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Perhaps not helping so much: The set’s early reviews, which have been mostly fairly nasty in their dismissals of the set.—
Andrew Unterberger,
Billboard,
25 June 2025
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Again there are two levels here, and each radically altered the color profile of the onscreen visuals – with the high setting giving everything a nasty green hue.—
Paul Ridden
June 25,
New Atlas,
25 June 2025
Adjective
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The other revivals don’t quite have that grip, though Yellow Face was excellent, and Romeo + Juliet has staged a rather bitchy campaign involving the dictionary definition of revival.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
4 June 2025
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Martin is there, and finally Masha arrives, wearing a Traitors hood and a bitchy attitude.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Catty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catty. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.
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