What does catharsis mean?
Word: Catharsis
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Catharsis means the release of strong feelings, such as grief or anger, often through art, music, writing or crying, that leaves you feeling calmer and lighter.
Synonyms: release, relief, purging, outpouring
Antonyms: repression, suppression
Word origin: Comes from Greek katharsis, from katharos.
How do you spell catharsis?
Syllables: ca - thar - sis
Tricky part: The ending is the trap: it is -sis, as in crisis and analysis, though students often write -sys.
Watch out for: catharsys, catharsiss, catharssis
Memory tip: A good cry after a crisis can bring catharsis, and the two words end with the same -sis.
Catharsis in a sentence
Example 1: Writing in her diary every night was a kind of catharsis after a tough exam season.
Example 2: For many fans, the final match of the series brought a catharsis of joy and tears.
Example 3: The drama teacher said a sad play can give the audience a catharsis.
Fun Fact
The Greek thinker Aristotle used katharsis to describe how watching a tragic play could clear away feelings of pity and fear in the audience.
Practise the CREST Way
Back to the Roots
Choose the correct option:
Catharsis comes from the Greek word katharos, which means ___.
a) ancient
b) tragic
c) pure
d) hidden
Show answer
c) pure. A catharsis leaves you feeling cleansed, as though your feelings had been made pure again.
Spell Probe
Choose the meaning of the misspelt word in the sentence:
After months of training, the young badminton player's tearful win at the national finals felt like a cathersis for her whole family.
a) learning a sport through regular practice
b) crying or close to crying
c) the last and deciding games of a competition
d) the easing of bottled-up feelings by letting them out
Show answer
d) the easing of bottled-up feelings by letting them out. The word needs a, not e, after the th, and it names the relief that follows strong feelings.
Word Puzzle
Match the words with the correct options:
1. catharsis 2. anguish 3. euphoria a. severe mental suffering b. intense happiness and excitement c. a cleansing outpouring of emotion
a) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
b) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
c) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
d) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c
Show answer
c) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b. Match each word with its meaning: catharsis frees bottled-up feeling, anguish is deep suffering and euphoria is great joy.
Sound Check
In which word is 'th' pronounced differently?
a) thermal
b) catharsis
c) thyme
d) method
Show answer
c) thyme. Thyme, the herb, is said like time; in the other three the th is the soft sound at the start of thin.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Someone who finds catharsis in painting probably feels ___ afterwards.
a) bored and sleepy
b) angrier than before
c) more confused
d) calmer and lighter
Show answer
d) calmer and lighter
2. The adjective formed from catharsis is ___.
a) catharsish
b) catharsical
c) cathartic
d) catharsive
Show answer
c) cathartic
