Dictionary

catchy en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈkæt͡ʃi/
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈkɛt͡ʃi/

Etymology

Etymology tree substratebor.? Proto-Indo-European *kap- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *kapyéti Proto-Indo-European *kaptós Proto-Italic *kaptos Latin captus Proto-Indo-European *-yetider. Latin -io Vulgar Latin *captiāre Old French chacierbor. Anglo-Norman cachierbor. Middle English cacchen English catch Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English catchy From catch + -y.

Meanings

1. (of a tune or phrase) Instantly appealing and memorable.
   • Eric wrote a catchy tune to play on his acoustic guitar while Alyssa plays the drums.
   • Because in today's 2,000mph technological freefall, he who coins the catchiest buzzword generally wins the debate by default. 2010 August 30, Charlie Brooker, “Buzzwords for blowhards”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 30 May 2023:
   • This hook is so catchy that I can't stop listening to it!
   • The best of friends become the worst of enemies when Barney makes a hilarious attack ad where he viciously pummels a cardboard cut-out of Homer before special guest star Linda Ronstadt joins the fun to both continue the attack on the helpless Homer stand-in and croon a slanderously accurate, insanely catchy jingle about how “Mr. Plow is a loser/And I think he is a boozer.” 2012 June 3, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Mr. Plow” (season 4, episode 9; originally aired 11/19/1992)”, in AV Club, archived from the original on 28 Dec 2012:
2. (dated, figuratively) Tending to catch or ensnare; entangling.
   • a catchy question
3. (dated) Consisting of, or occurring in, disconnected parts or snatches; changeable.
   • a catchy wind
   • Encyc. of Sport It [the fox's scent] is […] flighty or catchy, if variable.
4. Contagious; catching.
   • The catchy cold which has been transmitted to you directly or indirectly might have been avoided had you been in better physical condition. 1941, Florence LaGanke Harris, Hazel Hanna Huston, The New Home Economics Omnibus:

Forms

Deriveds

catchiness · uncatchy · catchily

Synonyms

tricky

Translations (35)

nb fengende (instantly appealing and memorable) · es pegajoso (instantly appealing and memorable) · cmn 抓耳 (instantly appealing and memorable) · de packend (instantly appealing and memorable) · it accattivante (instantly appealing and memorable) · pt memorável (instantly appealing and memorable) · es pegadizo (instantly appealing and memorable) · pl chwytliwy (instantly appealing and memorable) · ja キャッチーな (instantly appealing and memorable) · el πιασάρικος (instantly appealing and memorable) · ru запомина́ющийся (instantly appealing and memorable) · pt cativante (instantly appealing and memorable) · hu fülbemászó (instantly appealing and memorable) · ca enganxós (instantly appealing and memorable) · fr entraînant (instantly appealing and memorable) · sv svängig (instantly appealing and memorable) · pt contagiante (instantly appealing and memorable) · fi iskevä (instantly appealing and memorable) · nl pakkend (instantly appealing and memorable) · da iørefaldende (instantly appealing and memorable) · ja 覚えやすい (instantly appealing and memorable) · de eingängig (instantly appealing and memorable) · cs chytlavý (instantly appealing and memorable) · ja 耳に残る (instantly appealing and memorable) · de griffig (instantly appealing and memorable) · fi tarttuva (instantly appealing and memorable) · nn fengjande (instantly appealing and memorable) · sv medryckande (instantly appealing and memorable) · sv trallvänlig (instantly appealing and memorable) · da iøjnefaldende (instantly appealing and memorable) · ru привя́зчивый (instantly appealing and memorable) · nl aanstekelijk (instantly appealing and memorable) · de einprägsam (instantly appealing and memorable) · da fængende (instantly appealing and memorable) · it orecchiabile (instantly appealing and memorable)