Catchiest

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. The condition of being the most captivating or alluring while effectively grabbing attention
2. Having the highest ability to quickly grab and hold interest or attention
3. Being the quality of sticking in the mind or attracting notice in the strongest way

Etymology: "Catchiest" is the superlative of "catchy", and the more useful story is in the base word. "Catch" comes from Old French "chacier", which descends from Vulgar Latin "captiāre", a frequentative of Latin "capere" meaning "to take" or "to seize". The verb arrived in English in Middle English as "cacchen", so the root sense of grabbing and holding runs underneath everything the word has come to mean. "Catchy" adds the suffix "-y", an Old English adjectival ending that also appears in words like "stony" and "handy". The adjective built from it meant something that catches or can be caught, which is the sense still visible in phrases about a catchy question or a catchy trick. The sense of a tune or slogan that sticks in the mind developed from that idea of something that grabs attention and holds it. The superlative "catchiest" follows the regular pattern for adjectives ending in "-y", changing the final letter to "i" before adding "-est". It describes whatever sticks most readily in the memory.

Synonyms: most memorable, most appealing, most attractive

Antonyms: least memorable, least appealing