cathartic
1
8.9
- adjective
- /kəˈθɑrtɪk/
- Specialized
:
purgante
- Cathartic, even.
Examples
-
There is no substitute for daily, sometimes gut-wrenching and cathartic, yet cleansing and growth-causing communication.
Academic text (2006) -
- Cathartic, really.
-
Not much chance of a big, cathartic show trial here.
Blog text (9) -
It's like taking a cathartic.
Fiction book (1998) -
This explains why the rekindled memory of the rape brings about no cathartic cure.
Academic text (1995) -
Finally, Rick comes across the bloated walker who ate the remains of Lori, and not only does Rick stick a gun in its mouth, he stabs the creature's distended belly repeatedly in a cathartic release of screaming rage that leaves him spent.
Blog text (21) -
The doctor prescribed a cathartic to help relieve the patient's constipation.
-
After taking the cathartic, he quickly felt the urge to go to the bathroom.
-
She found that the herbal cathartic effectively cleared her bowels.
Synonyms
8
4.9
Causing the body to pass stool
1
9.2
Causing a person to empty their bowels
Causing the bowels to empty
How Laxative
Surface Forms
Morphology
cathartic = catharsis (semi-transparent) = cathart + ic
Formed from 'catharsis' + '-ic'; the connection to 'cleansing' explains the medical effect but the Greek root is not a common modern base for learners.
Etymology
The word cathartic comes from the Greek word katharsis, which means 'cleansing'. So a cathartic medicine is one that 'cleans out' the bowels and makes them empty.