English · Word Candidate

catching

/ˈkæt͡ʃɪŋ/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: catchings

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Infectious, contagious.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

lây lan, dễ mắc

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

AdjectiveRegister: informal

Examples

Ah, who is this? You did not hear me, my young friend, did you? Why, you, too, look sad. My melancholy is not catching!

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Captivating; alluring; catchy.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

thu hút, lôi cuốn

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

Bomb guy looked her up and down, not because he was an attractive man and she was possibly a catching woman.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

The action of the verb catch.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

hành động bắt

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

Though catchings of the breath and occasional syncope appear in the more early stages, yet they only become considerable and dangerous in the later[…]

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “catching” mean?

Infectious, contagious.

Is “catching” formal or informal?

catching is generally informal.