Word
cathartic
Phoneticscathar·tic
US/kəˈθɑɹtɪk/
UK/kæθˈɑːtɪk/
Definition
n. a feeling of relief or release after you have been through a difficult or emotional experience. It is like a deep breath of fresh air after a long, hard time.
n. a sense of emotional relief or release following a period of intense stress or trauma. Often used to describe the psychological benefit of expressing repressed feelings.
Examples
“Writing about my problems was a cathartic experience.”
“The group therapy session provided a cathartic release for the participants, allowing them to share their grief openly.”
“While the initial shock of the diagnosis was overwhelming, the subsequent months of counseling proved to be a deeply cathartic journey toward emotional stability.”
Examples
simple
“Writing about my problems was a cathartic experience.”
contextual
“The group therapy session provided a cathartic release for the participants, allowing them to share their grief openly.”
complex
“While the initial shock of the diagnosis was overwhelming, the subsequent months of counseling proved to be a deeply cathartic journey toward emotional stability.”
Real-World Examples
“Throughout the series, right up to the unpredictable and cathartic final episode, the writers work overtime to humanise their experiences.” “The lyrics deal with memories and regrets; the closing scream isn’t so much cathartic as chilling.” Etymology
Learned borrowing from New Latin catharticus, from Ancient Greek καθαρτικός (kathartikós).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/cathartic