catching
Contagious — something you can catch from somebody else.
Also called catchin'.
Updated September 21, 2026
catching pronunciation
/KATCH-in/
Meaning
Said of a cold, flu, or any bug that hops from person to person. Around the house you'll hear "Is it catching?" before anybody pulls up a chair too close. Folks also say "a catchin' bug" when somebody's been laid up and they don't want company spreading it around.
How folks use it
- “Stay back from the baby — that cough's catching.”
- “Is that stomach bug catching, or can I still come over?”
Origin and etymology
Catching as "contagious" comes straight from catch: you catch a cold the way you catch a ball. English has used the adjective that way for centuries. Rural Southern and Appalachian talk still favors the plain question "Is it catching?" over medical words.
Frequently asked questions
Does catching only mean sickness?
Mostly that's how porch talk uses it. Dictionaries also list a rarer sense for something attractive, but sick-talk is the everyday one.