Meaning & use
catfish
Last updated
A freshwater fish with whisker-like barbels around its mouth; also, a person who creates a fake online identity to deceive someone.
See it in a sentence
They caught a large catfish near the riverbank.
She realized the man she'd been chatting with online was a catfish using someone else's photos.
A note on using this word
The 'fake online identity' sense, now recognized in standard dictionaries, comes from the 2010 documentary 'Catfish' and functions as both a noun and a verb ('to catfish someone').
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. verb
To deceive someone by creating a false identity online, typically for a romantic relationship.
He was catfished by someone pretending to be a model.
Make it your own
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