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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Recent Examples of cathartic
Walaa Elsiddig, Billboard, 13 Dec. 2024
Our not knowing doesn’t make the event any less revealing, cathartic, or terrifying.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2024
Molly Longman, refinery29.com, 11 Jan. 2021
See all Example Sentences for cathartic 
Adjective
The recording process was an emotional whirlwind that took just three hours but was deeply cathartic.
—Walaa Elsiddig, Billboard, 13 Dec. 2024
Our not knowing doesn’t make the event any less revealing, cathartic, or terrifying.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2024
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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If your weekly dog walker is especially good with your excitable fur-baby, consider giving additional Christmas cheer.Linley Sanders, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Dec. 2024
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Lou Carnesecca, the excitable St. John’s men’s basketball coach whose outlandish sweaters became an emblem of his team’s dazzling Final Four run in 1985, died at 99.Andrew Torgan, CNN, 1 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The Silicon Valley investor has called for major reform at the FDA in the past and argued that the efficacy of drugs should be measured after they have been allowed on market.Sara Dorn, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
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Bar state and local governments from issuing public health guidelines that ban the prescribing of off-label drugs.Haley BeMiller, The Enquirer, 22 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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In a revealing interview with BBC News, Angelina Jolie opened up about how filming her Maria Callas biopic led to unprecedented emotional vulnerability with her children on set, particularly sons Maddox, 23, and Pax, 21, who served as production assistants.Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 19 Dec. 2024
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Singing over gruff hip-hop beats and ethereal minimalist ballads, the Argentine singer weaves a provocative tale of self-discovery with diaristic lyrics that excavate self-acceptance, intense romance and emotional maturity.Pamela Avila, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2024
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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The transformative potential of this technology is very exciting, offering a viable solution to help address our housing challenges.Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
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Less exciting to me, though, are the directors who appear to be capitalizing on that trend by incorporating music into their films, but seemingly without any understanding of what makes a musical actually good.Fran Tirado, Them, 20 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Earlier this year, two teenagers filed a class-action lawsuit against a Kentucky youth detention center and its administrators, claiming that they were subjected to oppressive isolation, denied basic hygiene, showers, and medications, and forced to listen to a toddler song.Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY, 24 Dec. 2024
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The infections are typically treated with anti-fungal eye drops and medications, although surgery may be required in some cases.Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The two cooks' successes and failures are great fun to watch, particularly the series of scenes in which Child, having just enrolled in a cooking program, practices cutting hundreds of onions, the slices forming a pile that matches her own impressive height.Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 21 Dec. 2024
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The Celtics, after coasting through the first half through impressive shot-making, had to clamp down.Boston Herald, Boston Herald, 21 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Her cause of death was determined to be untreated pneumonia, combined with anemia and drug intoxication from prescription and over-the-counter medications, including painkillers and cold medicine.Mackenzie Schmidt, People.com, 15 Dec. 2024
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Here, garland drapes over each medicine cabinet and fills a small bowl on the vanity top, adding punches of color and festivity without being too literal.Abby Wolner, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near cathartic
Cite this Entry
“Cathartic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cathartic. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
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