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.
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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.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cathartic
Leigh Haber, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2025
That was definitely exhausting to exert that much emotion, but also really cathartic.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 9 May 2025
Molly Longman, refinery29.com, 11 Jan. 2021
See All Example Sentences for cathartic
Adjective
The resident librarian takes Corby under her wing, and invites him to put his artist skills to work by painting a mural, which proves cathartic.
—Leigh Haber, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2025
That was definitely exhausting to exert that much emotion, but also really cathartic.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 9 May 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
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Anyone familiar with the world of the Grateful Dead knows that one of the band’s most devoted and excitable fans was the late Bill Walton, the illustrious Hall of Fame NBA center who died in May 2024 at 71.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
15 May 2025
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Groups of excitable teenage boys waited their turn to play EA FC on a bank of massive flat screen TVs.—
James Montague,
New York Times,
18 May 2025
Noun
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The new book picks up a decade later with a different crisis, this one born of a sudden increase in drugs.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
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This is aimed at encouraging more employers to offer coverage of the drugs.—
Joshua P. Cohen,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
Adjective
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What To Know Dixon, who has lived in the U.S. for 50 years after arriving from the Philippines at age 14, was emotional following her release.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 May 2025
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The award-winning filmmaker captures the emotional and cultural landscapes of 12 African nations, offering an immersive journey into the museum’s new African Art galleries.—
Keyaira Boone,
Essence,
30 May 2025
Noun
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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
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Or merely the tall-tale purgative of a frantic Purgatorian?—
Tom Nolan,
WSJ,
11 June 2021
Adjective
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McVay has his top tight end group in a while, an exciting prospect for the coach’s football chess options.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 May 2025
-
The latter star has landed a number of hits throughout the past few years by repurposing melodies and interpolating hooks from older, familiar smashes by other artists, reworking them into something exciting and new for a different audience.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
Noun
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Innovent Biologics gained +14% after the first phase of a trial of its new obesity medication.—
Brendan Ahern,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
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This means nurses can focus their energy on what matters most – caring for patients – while robots handle tasks such as delivering medication or guiding visitors around the hospital.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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The Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with impressive architecture and a foundation dating back to the 13th century.—
Carlsen Jes,
Travel + Leisure,
1 June 2025
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There was nearly a fourth as well, though rookie Kristian Campbell was able to make an impressive backhanded grab in shallow right with his back to the infield in the bottom of the fourth.—
Mac Cerullo,
Hartford Courant,
1 June 2025
Noun
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The 2025 survey polled more than 1,300 physician offices looking at average wait time among six specialties: obstetrics/gynecology, cardiology, orthopedic surgery, dermatology, gastroenterology, and family medicine.—
Bruce Japsen,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
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Harry quickly gets a taste of his own medicine when a call comes in from Kat McAllister (Janet McTeer).—
Matt Cabral,
EW.com,
26 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cathartic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cathartic. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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