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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of catty
Long gone are the days of catty rivalries between Tonya and Nancy, Michelle and Tara.
—
Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 17 Feb. 2026
In The Corner That Held Them, rarely does desire raise its head as the nuns busy themselves with dishonest bishops, honest con men, collapsing spires, inconclusive visions, ecclesiastical intrigues, catty infighting, attempts at levitation, and the plague.
—Air Mail, 14 Feb. 2026
Their relationship, at least the one that comes through their extensive correspondence in the files released by the Justice Department, was chatty and catty, at times warm and affectionate, at other moments transactional.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 10 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for catty
Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 17 Feb. 2026
In The Corner That Held Them, rarely does desire raise its head as the nuns busy themselves with dishonest bishops, honest con men, collapsing spires, inconclusive visions, ecclesiastical intrigues, catty infighting, attempts at levitation, and the plague.
—Air Mail, 14 Feb. 2026
Their relationship, at least the one that comes through their extensive correspondence in the files released by the Justice Department, was chatty and catty, at times warm and affectionate, at other moments transactional.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 10 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for catty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catty
Adjective
-
Tech companies are developing tools and collaborating, yet voluntary efforts struggle against sophisticated malicious actors.—
Richard Fowler,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
For cybersecurity companies, identifying a digital agent crawling a website used to be enough evidence of malicious activity.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Still, the simple story — written by Jordan Tannahill, who adapted his own book, and directed by Janicza Bravo — illustrates various destructive choices and cruel actions ostensibly driven by love.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
12 June 2026
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Here is the part that feels especially cruel.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
The tabloids have been extra vicious of late regarding your family strife.—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
12 June 2026
-
Firefighters faced vicious winds and, at times, 30-foot flames.—
Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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On Sunday, June 14, UFC fighter Josh Hokit took the opportunity after his win on the White House lawn to repeat a hateful lie about the former first lady.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
18 June 2026
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Authorities suspect Mullis placed antisemitic flyers showing hateful symbols such as a noose, a swastika and imagery associated with the German Nazi Party.—
Maveah Griffith
June 12,
Charlotte Observer,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
Yet thieves have found a nasty workaround.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
-
The nasty spat culminated in April when Shell agreed to resign as president of Paramount Skydance to concentrate on his legal headache.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Brooke Lynn Heights can play the withering queen bee role she’s given in her sleep, while Marcia Marcia Marcia and Symoné prove amusingly bitchy lackies.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
9 June 2026
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Come for the arch, bitchy humor promised by the title and the director’s general social media brand; stay for the unabashed sweetness of the enterprise; leave with the distinct sense that there’s more to Firstman than his online persona.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Catty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catty. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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