catfishnoun [ C ]
uk/ˈkæt.fɪʃ/us/ˈkæt.fɪʃ/plural catfishcatfish noun [ C ] (FISH)
a fish with a flat head and long hairs around its mouth that lives in rivers or lakes
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Freshwater fish
- bream
- carp
- eel
- elver
- fish
- fry
- goldfish
- lamprey
- minnow
- perch
- pike
- piranha
- roach
- salmon
- salmon trout
- stickleback
- trout
catfish noun [ C ] (FAKE)
informal someone who pretends on social media to be someone different, in order to trick or attract other people:
Online scammers and catfish usually have broad profile interests so that they can appeal to as many people as possible.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Cheating & tricking
- a numbers game idiom
- bad faith
- bamboozle
- bilk
- blackmail
- fleece
- gag
- hoodwink
- impersonate
- jape
- jiggery-pokery
- lead sb a (merry) dance idiom
- poison
- scam
- scammer
- screw
- sell sb a bill of goods idiom
- send/give out (all) the wrong signals idiom
- shaft
- wool
See more results »
Examples from literature
- But some Americans use only their hands to catch catfish.
- Catfish lay their eggs in holes under water that is about 21° C. And they like to stay close to their eggs.
- Now grab the catfish quickly with your hands and pull it out of the water.
- The catfish will think your fingers are food and will bite them.
- The male sea catfish is important, too.
- In one aquarium there are so many catfish that they make the water cloudy.
- Maybe we'd catch some alligators to make things exciting, and maybe some big yellow river catfish.
- Perhaps the little bull-head catfish might survive in such muddy water, but I did not believe bass or perch could.
- The only kind of fish taken was the common catfish.
- We got five catfish off the lines and went home.
Examples from literature
- But some Americans use only their hands to catch catfish.
- Catfish lay their eggs in holes under water that is about 21° C. And they like to stay close to their eggs.
- Now grab the catfish quickly with your hands and pull it out of the water.
- The catfish will think your fingers are food and will bite them.
- The male sea catfish is important, too.
- In one aquarium there are so many catfish that they make the water cloudy.
- Maybe we'd catch some alligators to make things exciting, and maybe some big yellow river catfish.
- Perhaps the little bull-head catfish might survive in such muddy water, but I did not believe bass or perch could.
- The only kind of fish taken was the common catfish.
- We got five catfish off the lines and went home.
catfishverb [ T ]
/ˈkæt.fɪʃ//ˈkæt.fɪʃ/informalto try to trick or attract someone by pretending on social media to be someone different:
If a random, attractive person starts talking to you online, you are very likely being catfished.
More examples
- People who catfish others usually make up fake lives so they can be as extravagant as they want to be.
- If someone seems to be falling for you after just a little contact with you, they’re probably trying to catfish you.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Cheating & tricking
- a numbers game idiom
- bad faith
- bamboozle
- bilk
- blackmail
- fleece
- gag
- hoodwink
- impersonate
- jape
- jiggery-pokery
- lead sb a (merry) dance idiom
- poison
- scam
- scammer
- screw
- sell sb a bill of goods idiom
- send/give out (all) the wrong signals idiom
- shaft
- wool
See more results »