catching

catching — adjective

1. describes a disease or illness that spreads very easily from a sick person to a

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describes a disease or illness that spreads very easily from a sick person to a healthy person, often through physical contact or through the air.

Example

The school nurse said the rash is catching and told us to wash the bedsheets.

predicative: be + catching

Hana stayed home because her cough was still catching and the doctor ordered rest.

Common collocations
  • still catching
  • highly catching
  • very catching
  • quite catching
Synonyms
  • contagious

    the standard, neutral term for illnesses that spread by contact; more common than 'catching' in both speech and writing

  • infectious

    often used for diseases that spread through air, water, or indirect means; has a slightly more clinical feel

  • transmissible

    formal medical term; rarely used in everyday conversation

Antonyms
  • non-contagious

    the most direct opposite; describes an illness that does not spread between people

  • non-infectious

    common in medical contexts for conditions that are not caused by an infectious agent

Grammar Patterns

be + catching

Usage Note

This adjective is used predicatively — it comes after a linking verb (be, become, stay, remain) — and is not placed directly before a noun. It is less formal and far less common than 'contagious' or 'infectious' in modern English. Many native speakers now find it slightly old-fashioned, though it is still understood. Typical subjects are common childhood illnesses (chickenpox, measles, flu) or skin conditions (rashes, spots).

Common Mistakes

The doctor said it is a catching disease.
The doctor said the disease is catching.
Catching is used predicatively (after 'is'), not attributively before a noun.
The virus is very catching, so be careful.
The virus is very contagious, so be careful.
In formal or medical writing, use 'contagious' or 'infectious' instead of 'catching'.

Word family

  • catch
    verbA1
  • catch
    nounB1
  • catchy
    adjectiveB2
  • catcher
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All three words describe illnesses that move from one person to another, but they differ in register and frequency. 'Contagious' is the default choice in both everyday speech and general writing — it is neutral, widely understood, and appropriate in any context (e.g., 'a contagious laugh' is a metaphor built on the medical sense). 'Infectious' is slightly more clinical and often refers to diseases caused by pathogens (bacteria, viruses) that can spread through air, food, or water; it is also used metaphorically ('an infectious smile'). 'Catching' is the most informal and least common of the three; it belongs to casual conversation and can sound old-fashioned. A family member might say 'Stay away — that rash is catching,' while a doctor would say 'This infection is highly contagious.'

contagious ↗infectious ↗transmissible

Common collocations

Adverbs

Phrases

  • be catching
  • become catching
  • remain catching

Etymology

Old North FrenchLatinEnglish

The adjective 'catching' comes from the verb 'catch' (to capture or seize), which entered English through Old North French 'cachier' (to chase, hunt, capture). By the 16th century, the idea that a disease could be 'caught' — like capturing something — gave rise to the adjective sense of an illness that is easily passed from person to person. This usage has been in steady decline since the 19th century, gradually replaced by the more clinical terms 'contagious' and 'infectious'.