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.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in drug
a substance used to induce or speed up the process of defecation
Epsom salts, when ingested, act as a cathartic.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cathartic
Ilana Kaplan, People.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Was the process of making the album cathartic in any way, then?
—Liam Hess, Vogue, 6 Apr. 2025
Molly Longman, refinery29.com, 11 Jan. 2021
See All Example Sentences for cathartic
Adjective
Pouring his darkest thoughts and fears onto the page throughout his cancer treatment ultimately ended up being extremely cathartic.
—Ilana Kaplan, People.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Was the process of making the album cathartic in any way, then?
—Liam Hess, Vogue, 6 Apr. 2025
Noun
Some people find free-writing in a journal cathartic.
—Molly Longman, refinery29.com, 11 Jan. 2021
See All Example Sentences for cathartic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cathartic
Adjective
-
Its participants are easily excitable and just as effortlessly aggrieved, their collective nervous system tied somewhat intrinsically to social media notifications.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
17 Apr. 2025
-
And if Django’s Billy Crash tapped into Goggins’s ability to thrive with brutal spite, Mannix plays more to Goggins’s excitable energy and capacity for being clever (even when his character seems to be anything but).—
Daniel Dockery,
Vulture,
6 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Bryce Hodgson's comedic S1 turn as Major's roommate in the mental institution, Scott E., was so memorable that the writers brought the actor back to play twin brother Don E., part of Blaine's drug (and brain) dealing enterprise.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
27 Apr. 2025
-
These are powerful drugs — antipsychotics, sedatives, sleep aids — each carrying their own risks.—
Dr. Sabooh Mubbashar,
Hartford Courant,
27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
His father, who has also served significant time in prison, explained the emotional weight of watching his son endure a similar experience.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
24 Apr. 2025
-
Controversy over wolf management can become more emotional and political than scientific.—
Olivia Ferrari,
Smithsonian Magazine,
24 Apr. 2025
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
-
Hunter is headed to the Jacksonville Jaguars (such an exciting moment for this team).—
Robyn Mowatt,
Essence,
25 Apr. 2025
-
Complementing Lewis’s exciting outfits is his daring jewelry style.—
Daisy Shaw-Ellis,
Vogue,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Some of the trial’s participants were given a medication called metformin; others were given a placebo.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
-
There are ways to manage allergy symptoms without taking medications.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Cleetus McFarland, the popular automotive YouTuber whose real name is Garrett Mitchell, finished in an impressive P10 in the ARCA Menards Series at Talladega.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Apr. 2025
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No matter what your favorite style chocolate chip cookie is, these impressive looking ones, which are perfectly chewy in the middle and crunchy on the outside, will always hit the spot.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
These include medicines that increase available dopamine, resemble dopamine or block its natural breakdown.—
Lillian Ali,
Smithsonian Magazine,
21 Apr. 2025
-
The drones are also able to fly in life-saving equipment like oxygen cylinders and medicines.—
Esha Mitra,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cathartic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cathartic. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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