Meaning & use
catchy
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivecomparableinformalapproving
Pleasant and easy to remember, so that people keep humming it or repeating it.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a verb such as be or sound: a catchy tune, the song is catchy.
Patterns
- a catchy tune
- a catchy name
The song has a catchy chorus that stayed in my head all week.
They needed a catchy name for the new cafe.
The ad's slogan was short and catchy.
Word forms
| comparative | catchier |
|---|---|
| superlative | catchiest |
Common combinations
- a catchy tune
- He whistled a catchy tune while he worked.
- a catchy slogan
- A catchy slogan helped the product sell quickly.
- a catchy title
- The article needs a catchier title.
- catchy chorus
- The band is known for its catchy choruses.
- pretty catchy
- I know it's silly, but the jingle is pretty catchy.
Synonyms and how they differ
- memorable
- Memorable is more general and formal, and it can describe anything worth remembering, not only tunes and slogans.
- infectious
- Infectious suggests that a tune or mood spreads quickly to others, which is stronger than catchy.
- appealing
- Appealing means attractive but does not imply that it sticks in your memory.
Opposites
Word family
- catch verb
- the base verb, as in catch someone's attention
- catchiness noun
- the quality of being catchy
- catchphrase noun
- a phrase made popular by repetition
Commonly confused: catchy or catching?
catchy vs catching
Catching means likely to spread as a disease does, while catchy means easy to remember.
Practice
Why might an advertiser want a catchy slogan?
Choose one answer.
Catchy means easy to remember and pleasant, which helps advertising. The other options describe qualities that make a slogan weak.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “catchy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.