catfishing

C3A1T1F4I1S1H4I1N1G2

noun

The practice of creating a fake profile on a social media platform in order to deceive people.

UncommonScrabble 19
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Meanings

catfishing1

verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of catfish (“to fish for catfish”)

catfishing2

verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of catfish (“to create and operate a fake online profile”)
nouncatfishing (usually uncountable, plural catfishings)

plural catfishings

  1. InternetuncountableusuallyThe practice of creating a fake profile on a social media platform in order to deceive people.

    For the most part, catfishing is not against the law, said Bradley Shear, a Washington-based lawyer who has examined legal issues related to social media.

    2013 January 17, Mary Pilon, “In Te’o Story, Deception Ripped From the Screen”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 20 Dec 2020

Origin

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Polish catfishing
  • catfishingTranslations
Spanish engañifla de perfil falso
  • engañifla de perfil falsoTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

catfishing. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/catfishing

MLA

“catfishing.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/catfishing. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “catfishing,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/catfishing.

Source: catfishing on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.