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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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
Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Apr. 2026
In the hands of the six-piece band, the shivering chords of that miniature apocalyptic soul song build into a cathartic climax, which Wasner punctuates with weeping slide guitar.
—Mitch Therieau, Pitchfork, 8 Apr. 2026
While some celebrants have greeted these caricatures with cathartic jeers and sneers, others are shocked and outraged.
—Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 1 Apr. 2026
The emotional combustion of his climactic scenes with Willy fail to reach cathartic levels.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cathartic
Adjective
Ball is about pageantry and realness, and what is Cats, if not a cathartic talent showcase?
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Apr. 2026
In the hands of the six-piece band, the shivering chords of that miniature apocalyptic soul song build into a cathartic climax, which Wasner punctuates with weeping slide guitar.
—Mitch Therieau, Pitchfork, 8 Apr. 2026
While some celebrants have greeted these caricatures with cathartic jeers and sneers, others are shocked and outraged.
—Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 1 Apr. 2026
The emotional combustion of his climactic scenes with Willy fail to reach cathartic levels.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cathartic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cathartic
Adjective
-
An unexpected collaboration opportunity is very possible under today’s trine between excitable Mars and erratic Uranus.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
At the Ricardo residence in the ’50s sitcom I Love Lucy, over-the-top housewife Lucy and Ricky, her excitable husband, were always getting into some sort of entertaining hijinks.—
Michael Gioia,
Architectural Digest,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But its primary association in the public consciousness since the nineteen-eighties is with the criminal underworld, particularly the drug cartels.—
Chris Wiley,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The new shelter will allow residents to bring pets, which most shelters prohibit, offer a drug and alcohol treatment program and mental health services and assign those admitted a caseworker who will help connect them with professional development programs.—
Michael Cuglietta,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Snitker grew emotional while thanking his friend and mentor in his speech.—
Gabriel Burns,
AJC.com,
26 Apr. 2026
-
His emotional reaction to the announcement of his name was caught on camera during the draft telecast.—
Steve Megargee,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
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
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Or merely the tall-tale purgative of a frantic Purgatorian?—
Tom Nolan,
WSJ,
11 June 2021
Adjective
-
But that exciting crash sequence — from initial turbulence through to catastrophic Pacific Ocean landing — is where high-stakes action specialist Harlin is most firmly in his sweet spot.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Friends, networks and social circles can bring exciting connections now.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Belarusian human rights group Viasna said he repeatedly was denied essential medications and refused contact with his wife and children.—
Claudia Ciobanu,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
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Instead, many factors, such as lack of sleep, stress, adverse life events, mental health and medications can lead to food noise.—
Alora Bopray,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Minnesota has largely kept them to the perimeter, making life a little easier on impressive rookie goaltender Jesper Wallstedt.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Like many cushion foundations, shade ranges can skew limited—K-beauty brands have historically catered to a narrower spectrum—but this one is a bit more impressive, with 20 shades to choose from.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Additionally, while the software framework has already been validated on current industrial robots, its deployment in more sensitive fields like medicine is currently bottlenecked by hardware limitations.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
26 Apr. 2026
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Gaza’s most dire conditions — the lack of food and medicine, continuing Israeli attacks, destroyed hospitals, schools and residential buildings, homelessness and overcrowding — now include rodents, climbing temperatures and open-air sewage.—
Jeremy Mikula,
NBC news,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cathartic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cathartic. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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