katharsis
- noun
- /kəˈθɑːrsɪs/
- Literature
:
catarisis
- The play provides a sense of katharsis for the audience as unresolved tensions are dramatically released.
Examples
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Group therapy can sometimes act as a means of katharsis for participants dealing with trauma.
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Artists often speak of experiencing katharsis through the act of creating their work.
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The play provided a profound katharsis for the audience.
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Through therapy, she experienced a deep katharsis that changed her life.
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Participating in the therapy sessions allowed him to achieve katharsis by confronting his long-held fears.
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The powerful film led to a collective katharsis among the audience, leaving many in tears as they processed their emotions.
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By expressing her feelings in her journal, she found a valuable katharsis that helped her cope with her anxiety.
Synonyms
12
8.2
A release of strong feelings that brings relief through art or therapy
1
9.9
A release of strong feelings that happens when someone remembers a painful event
Letting hidden thoughts or feelings come into your mind
How Cathartic
Surface Forms
Etymology
Katharsis comes from the old Greek verb kathairein, which means 'to cleanse' or 'clean'. So emotional katharsis is like 'cleaning out' strong feelings, and that 'cleaning' is why people feel relief after creating art or talking in therapy.