catlike

catlike — adjective

1. having the appearance or qualities of a cat, especially the ability to move in a

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

having the appearance or qualities of a cat, especially the ability to move in a quiet, smooth, and quick way

Example

The old dancer still moved across the stage with catlike grace, barely making a sound.

collocation: catlike grace

Ravi's catlike reflexes saved the antique vase from smashing on the floor.

collocation: catlike reflexes

Common collocations
  • catlike grace
  • catlike reflexes
  • catlike tread
  • catlike eyes
  • catlike agility
  • catlike movements
Synonyms
  • feline

    more technical or literary; refers to the cat family rather than describing cat-like qualities

  • graceful

    focuses on smooth beauty of movement without the cat comparison

  • stealthy

    emphasizes secrecy and silence, often implying sneaking

  • agile

    stresses quickness and ease of movement without the cat-specific connection

  • lithe

    describes a flexible, slender body that moves easily — often used for athletes and dancers

Antonyms
  • clumsy

    describes movement that is awkward and lacks smoothness

  • awkward

    suggests stiffness and lack of grace

  • ungainly

    describes movement that looks heavy and uncontrolled

Grammar Patterns

catlike + noun

be + catlike

Usage Note

Most commonly used with nouns describing movement (grace, tread, reflexes, agility) or physical features (eyes). Carries a generally positive or admiring tone when describing movement, and a neutral tone when describing appearance.

Common Mistakes

My sister was being very catlike when she said those unkind things.
My sister was being very catty when she said those unkind things.
catlike means 'resembling a cat'; catty means 'spiteful or mean in a subtle way.'
The catlike creature purred in my lap.
The feline creature purred in my lap.
catlike compares a non-cat to a cat; for actual cats, use feline.

Word family

  • cat
    nounA1
  • catty
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Catlike describes a person or animal that moves like a cat — quietly, smoothly, and with control. Feline is a more technical or literary word that means 'of or relating to cats' — a feline grace focuses on the cat family rather than on the specific qualities of quiet, smooth movement. Graceful emphasizes the beauty of movement without any cat connection. Stealthy stresses the secrecy and silence of movement, often with a hint of sneaking or hiding, while catlike can be neutral or admiring. Agile emphasizes quickness and the ability to change direction easily, but does not suggest silence. For example: 'The gymnast landed with catlike control after the flip' combines agility and stealth, while 'The spy moved with a stealthy stride through the dark hallway' only suggests secrecy.

catlike ↗felinegraceful ↗stealthyagile ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • with catlike precision

Etymology

Old EnglishLatinEnglish

Formed by combining cat (from Old English catt, which came from Latin catus) with the suffix -like (from Old English gelīc, meaning 'having the form or qualities of'). This compound pattern is common in English for creating adjectives that compare a person or thing to an animal, object, or quality.