# catty

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈkæti/ · frequency rank #49,246

## Definitions
1. With subtle hostility in an effort to hurt, annoy, or upset, particularly among women.
2. Resembling or characteristic of a cat.

## Etymology
From cat + -y. Compare Dutch kattig (“catty”); in sense “hostility”, see catfight.

## Easily confused with
- **cay** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/catty-vs-cay)
- **city** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/catty-vs-city)
- **cotta** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/catty-vs-cotta)
- **cavity** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/catty-vs-cavity)
- **crafty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/catty-vs-crafty)
- **chatty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/catty-vs-chatty)
- **chitty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/catty-vs-chitty)
- **cat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cat-vs-catty)
- **cast** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cast-vs-catty)
- **cats** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cats-vs-catty)
- **cant** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cant-vs-catty)
- **cart** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cart-vs-catty)
- **capt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/capt-vs-catty)
- **Cary** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cary-vs-catty)
- **cate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cate-vs-catty)
- **Cato** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cato-vs-catty)
- **Cath** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cath-vs-catty)
- **carry** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/carry-vs-catty)
- **catch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/catch-vs-catty)
- **candy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/candy-vs-catty)

## Common misspellings (6)
`actty`, `cattyy`, `caty`, `catyt`, `ccatty`, `ctaty`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/catty