What does catty mean?
"Catty" is an informal adjective describing speech or behavior that is slyly spiteful rather than openly hostile — think barbed compliments, pointed asides, and malicious gossip delivered behind a polite smile. It entered English in the late nineteenth century, formed simply from "cat," reflecting the old stereotype of cats as stealthy and vindictive creatures. Today it is most commonly used of remarks, comments, or people given to such remarks, especially in social or workplace settings where rivalry simmers beneath civility. The word has an adverbial form (cattily) and a noun form (cattiness). Separately, "catty" also names a traditional unit of weight — roughly 600 grams — long used in Chinese and Southeast Asian commerce, though this sense is unfamiliar to most English speakers outside those regions. Its closest synonyms include spiteful, malicious, and snide.
Subtly or slyly malicious; spiteful in an indirect, often verbal way.
"She made a catty comment about his cooking that everyone pretended not to hear."
Almost always disapproving; typically modifies remarks, comments, gossip, or people known for them.
A traditional unit of weight used in China and Southeast Asia, equal to about 600 grams.
"He bought two catties of rice at the market."
Now rare outside Asian trade contexts; its plural is usually "catties."
Applies only to the noun sense (the weight unit); the adjective has no plural.
"The merchant weighed out three catties of dried mushrooms."
"Catty" literally means "like a cat" — it was coined in the late 19th century from the stereotype that cats are sly and spiteful.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of catty
"Catty" was formed in the late nineteenth century from "cat" plus the suffix -y, on the model of earlier animal-derived adjectives like "dogged" and "foxy." The image behind it is the cat's reputation for slyness and spite, which had already produced phrases such as "cat fight." The word spread through colloquial British and American English and remains firmly informal today. Its separate identity as a weight unit comes from Malay kati, borrowed into English via trade with China and Southeast Asia — an entirely unrelated origin.
Related word forms
How catty is actually used
"Catty" is informal and carries a distinctly negative connotation, most often applied to remarks, comments, or gossip rather than open aggression. The noun sense (the weight unit) is now largely confined to trade contexts in parts of Asia and is rare elsewhere; when the adjective is intended, context almost always makes this clear.
Easily confused with catty
A kitty is a cat or a pooled fund of money, whereas catty describes spiteful behavior.